[Sca-cooks] Baked Beans

[Stephanie Howe]

Maine Baked Beans

4 qt. or larger bean pot

2lbs. dried pea, northern, or white beans
(IMO, best variety is one available in Maine: "yellow eye" or somelike.
Looks like a pinto bean, but the spots are yellow rather than brown. -O.)
1lb. salt pork, cubed and briefly boiled.
3 medium onions, quartered.
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons salt
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Cup Heavy (or Light) Cream
(Ground Pepper to taste- optional)

Soak the beans overnight.  In the morning, boil 20 minutes.  Drain,
reserving the liquid.  Place beans in the pot, layering with onions and salt
pork.
Add to the reserved bean liquor:  mustard, salt, (pepper) molasses, brown
sugar, and maple syrup.  Boil for 2 minutes.
Cover beans with liquor, but do not fill the pot, as it will boil over.
Bake in a slow oven at 300F. for 10 hours.  Add reserved liquor or water
throughout the day as needed.  The pot can be uncovered in the oven for the
last hour or two if necessary.  In the last hour, pour cream over the top.


I'm planning on trying panela (aka Piloncillo)- Mexican cone sugar- in my
next pot.  I expect it'll be very similar in taste to Colonial or even
earlier crude cane sugars.

Olga