Friday, August 2, 2013

Frugal Foodie Friday - Maple and Molasses Baked Beans


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...No trip to the Cape Cod would be complete without sampling the baked beans for which New England is famous. There are two types served in this region of the country and the identification of either can be muddy. Fortunately, I had some help. I got to spend some time with an oysterman - actually a woman - who was also a guide at one of the local museums. Now oysters and beans have little in common, but in the course of our conversation, changes in the American diet came into play. She noted that there was a time when dishes like oyster stew, baked beans and mac n' cheese were the meal rather than part of it. While oysters dominated the conversation, we kept returning to what was once a staple of the island locals, suppers of baked beans and brown bread. There are two types of beans served here. Classically, Boston baked beans are made with molasses, while the New England variety is made with maple syrup. The muddy part of this comes when ingredients are mixed and the bean pot contain elements of both. The beans we ate on the island contained both syrup and molasses and were much sweeter than those we normally ate at home. They were also cooked in a different manner than any I had prepared before. The beans were delicious, but I must admit, that to my taste anyway, they were a bit too sweet. The next time I make these I'll cut back on the amount of molasses that I use. Other than that, this is a near perfect recipe and I recommend it to those of you who are trying to contain your food costs. These beans are a perfect feature for Frugal Friday and I think you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Boston Baked Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Heather and Martha Zschock

Ingredients:

2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup light molasses
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 cup salt pork
1 onion quartered

Directions:
1) Place beans, water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large ovenproof kettle. Bring to a boil, than reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1-1/2 hours.
2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Return beans to kettle.
3) Combine garlic, maple syrup, molasses, mustard and reserved 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix well. pour mixture over beans. Addjust enough bean cooking liquid to cover beans. Score salt pork. Poke pork and quartered onion into middle of beans.
4) Cover pot and place in oven. Bake for 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes to make sure beans are covered with liquid. If needed, add more reserved cooking liquid to cover beans. Yield: 6 servings.

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16 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

i bet these smell amazing!!!

Coleens Recipes said...

Your timing couldn't be better, I just put some beans to soak and then I find your recipe, that sounds excellent (we love maple).

Manu said...

This should be so yummy and delicious!!!

Lynn said...

I love beans Mary and haven't added maple syrup yet. I might give these a try and while the oven method is perfect, I'll use the pressure cooker during this warm weather! Thanks for the inspiration:@)

Big Dude said...

They look good from here Mary and I'm with you on the sweetness

From the Kitchen said...

I've never tried baked beans in New England! My previous food quests there were to find the perfect clam chowder. I'm putting the beans on the list for my next N.E. challenge.

I hope you have a delicious weekend.

Best,
Bonnie

Vicki Bensinger said...

For years I've been looking for a great baked Bean dish. I'm hoping this is it. I' always buy the can but never like them like I do those served at restaurants, especially BBQ Baked Beans. I will definitely give these a try. Thank you for sharing this.

Zimbabwe said...

I am not a big baked bean fan but I think I could hooked on them with this recipe. Have a good weekend Diane

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

As a baked beans lover, I'm certainly intrigued about this recipe along with maple syrup. I do enjoy having melted cheese on top of mine!

Unknown said...

They look incredible, Mary! And I know I would love their sweetness. I prefer my beans on the sweat side... then again, I guess it's because I just prefer sweet things :)

KitchenKarma said...

I have never made baked beans at home, but since I do not enjoy the tinned ones, I think time I tried making it at home like you did. Thanks for sharing the recipe Mary :-)

Kim said...

Baked beans are also a classic around here, in Quebec! It's pretty much the same debate around here, molasses or maple syrup (as we too are a big big maple syrup producer)... I tend to put both in mine... But you are right, molasse tend to be really present if you put too much!

Eileen said...

I love good baked beans. My mom always used to make them. When I was growing up, we sometimes ate things like macaroni and cheese for dinner - just that, nothing else. In the summer my mom and grandma would make peach cobbler and at least once a summer we would get to splurge and eat just that for dinner. :)

Catherine said...

Dear Mary, Don't you just love learning the history of the food and people.
I do love brown bread too.
This is a great version of a classic.
Blessings dear and hugs, Catherine xo

Buttercup said...

I was raised in New England and we had baked beans often. I usually make a batch once a month in the winter.

Jackie said...

Hi Mary

I love my baked beans real sweet, so which one of these ingredients can I add to make it a lot sweeter, the maple syrup or the molasses?

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