The Best Boston Baked Beans Recipes

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight in a large container. Drain in a colander.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine molasses, mustard, brown sugar, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Stud the onion halves with the cloves, and place in the bottom of a terra-cotta bean pot or Dutch oven.
• Score the salt pork 1/4 inch deep 1 inch apart, and slice into two even pieces. Transfer to the bean pot. Add the soaked beans. Pour the molasses mixture over beans, stir, and cover. The liquid should cover the beans by 1/2 inch. Add more water if necessary.
• Transfer to oven to bake, without stirring, until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 6 hours. Check the beans every 45 minutes, adding more hot water if necessary to keep beans slightly soupy at all times. For the last 50 to 60 minutes of cooking, uncover beans, and, using tongs or a long fork, pull the pork to the surface. Remove from oven, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker; add 4 cups water. Cover and let stand overnight., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to slow cooker; add salt pork., In a small bowl, combine the onion, brown sugar, molasses, sugar, mustard, salt, cloves, pepper and remaining water. Pour mixture over beans; stir to combine., Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or until beans are tender.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
• In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

CLASSIC BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water to cover overnight in a large bowl. Drain in a colander.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange onions in the bottom of a bean pot or Dutch oven. Top, working in order, beginning with tomatoes, and continuing with bay leaves, dry mustard, cloves, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Add soaked beans and pour over molasses. Top evenly with salt pork. Add 5 cups water and cover.
• Transfer to oven and bake, without stirring, until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 6 hours. Check the beans every 45 minutes, adding hot water, if necessary, to keep beans slightly soupy at all times. Remove from oven, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pick through the beans for stones, rinse them thoroughly and soak in water overnight. (Leave soaking until ready to cook; you'll need the water.)
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a Dutch oven, 5-quart size or larger, over low heat. Add the salt pork or bacon and fry until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium and stir in the onion. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the beans to the pan along with enough of the soaking liquid to cover them by 1/2 inch, adding fresh water if needed. Add the garlic cloves, molasses or maple syrup, ketchup, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper and the thyme branch and bay leaf, if using. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and put in oven.
• Check the liquid level in the pot every hour or so, and add hot water as needed to barely cover the beans. Cook until beans are very soft but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then taste a bean and some liquid, adding more salt, pepper or vinegar, if you like. Serve, or cool completely and reheat.

THE BEST BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Use California pea beans, York State beans or small white navy beans.
• Soak beans overnight. Ensure water covers the beans by 4 - 5 inches. The beans will soak up the water.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 325°F
• Place the baking soda in a large pot and fill half way with water. Bring to a boil and add the beans. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and run cold water through them. Set aside.
• Cut the bacon into 1 inch lengths. Put half of the bacon on the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish (needs lid). Add the onion. Put beans in the casserole. Put the remaining bacon on top of the beans.
• Mix the sugar, molasses, mustard, salt and pepper with 3 cups of hot water and pour over the beans. Cover the casserole with the lid and place in preheated oven.
• Bake for 6 hours. Check the casserole periodically to check the amount of liquid. Add water to the beans slowly as needed to keep them moist; do not flood them.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak navy beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water by several inches. Drain and place beans into a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, saving bean-cooking liquid.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Transfer beans into clean Dutch oven and stir bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into beans. Pour enough of the hot reserved bean liquid in to cover beans; stir.
• Cover Dutch oven and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Check liquid level and add more of the reserved bean liquid to bring liquid up to cover beans. Return to oven and continue baking until beans are tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
• Raise oven heat to 350; bake beans uncovered in oven until top develops a flavorful crust, 20 to 30 more minutes.

OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse beans; discard any discoloured ones. In large saucepan, soak beans overnight; drain. Add water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes; drain.
• In bean pot or 8 cup casserole, spread onion slices.
• Add drained beans.
• Combine molasses, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard, pepper and hot water.
• Pour over beans and top with chopped bacon.
• Cover and bake in 250 degree oven for 6 hours; uncover and add about 1/2 cup ketchup -- and stir. Add more water if you need to. Bake uncovered for another hour.