Maine Baked Beans Recipes

MAINE BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pick over the beans and soak them overnight in cold water.
• In the morning drain and then boil them in fresh water until the skins crack when blown upon.
• Quarter the onion and place in the bottom of Crock pot.
• Add the beans.
• Cut through the rind of the salt pork and place pork on top of the beans.
• Mix the sugar, molasses, mustard and pepper with 1 pint of boiling water.
• Pour this over the beans. Add more water to almost cover beans.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours or if pressed for time, turn on high for a while and then turn down to low until done.

DOWN-EAST BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Put beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid, then transfer beans to a 2-quart bean pot or Dutch oven.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place salt pork in a small pot, add water to cover, then bring to a boil over high heat. Drain pork and add to beans. In a small bowl, dissolve mustard in 1 teaspoon warm water. Add dissolved mustard, molasses, and rum to beans. Season with salt and pepper, and mix gently but thoroughly.
• Heat reserved cooking liquid in a medium sauce-pan over medium heat. Pour enough of the liquid (about 3 cups) into bean pot so that beans are moist but not floating. Reserve remaining cooking liquid. Cover pot and bake, checking occasionally to ensure that beans are not drying out, adding reserved cooking liquid as needed. Cook until beans are soft, about 5 hours.
• Remove cover, gently stir beans, and return to oven. Bake uncovered until cooking liquid thickens into a sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with brown bread if you like.

BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pick over the beans and wash in cold water; rinse.
• Cover with cold water and let soak over night.
• Drain.
• In the morning, put in a pan and cover with water and parboil till the skins crack and roll up when you blow on them (30-35 minutes or so).
• Place onion in the bottom of the bean pot and add the beans saving some of the bean juice to mix with the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix the minced onion, sugar, molasses, salt, dry mustard, and some of the hot bean juice to make about 1 1/2 cups.
• Pour this over the beans and gently mix.
• If you need more juice, add more of the juice from the pan.
• Scrape and slit the salt pork and put on top of the beans.
• Put the cover on the beanpot and bake at 300 degrees for about 7 hours.
• Add water if necessary to keep the beans covered.

OLD-FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring beans, salt and 2 qt. water to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and discard liquid. Return beans to pan. Cover with remaining water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving liquid. In a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish, combine beans, 1 cup liquid, onion, molasses, bacon, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Cover and bake at 325° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until beans are as thick as desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid if needed.