Mom’s Baked Beans

This is the grandfather of the baked bean recipes, though I’m convinced the onion soup mix was a later addition. I remember eating baked beans in the 1950s before the onion soup mix craze swept the country. Following is Leslee’s first-hand account of making of Mom’s recipe.

2 pounds Great Northern white beans (dried).

Soak overnight in lukewarm water in a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pan with tight-fitting cover.

Bring to boil, boil 10-15 minutes, add 1 T. baking soda, cook five more minutes. This will boil over.

Drain beans, do not rinse.

Add to beans:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

1/2 bottle dark molasses

1 T. mustard

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. salt

1 envelope Lipton’s onion soup mix

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Fill kettle with water, mix well.

You can add a piece of salt pork, ham or bacon to this as well, or not, if you are going vegetarian.

Bake 6-8 hours at 250. Check every couple of hours to make sure the beans aren’t too dry. Add more water if necessary.