Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Crock Pot Baked Beans


My mom, would would have been 78 today, she was the family bean baker, and when she became ill, I began making them and bringing them to family parties.  Mom would always tell me what she thought of them too!!! 

I decided to make them for Easter, I have to tell you I was a little nervous about making them this way. I felt like I was tempting fate by messing with a tried and true family recipe!  So, I tried something I have NEVER done before - make baked beans in my crock pot!!!  

I know people who have done it, but not me.  I asked my other "bean baking sister," Marilyn if she'd ever tried it - "no, have you . . . "  What's the big deal you ask . . . well, we come from a long line of "oven baked bean" cooks!  

I told her what the others had done and she decided to try it, she had all the ingredients in her pantry. 


Well, I just happened to stop by her home the next evening.  I totally forgot about her experiment  and when I walked in she said, "OMG, you have to try my beans, they are the best I've ever made!"  They were delicious and the difference in taste is minimal.  

Ingredients
2 packages of white dry navy beans
1 1/2 cups molasses
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 package of salt pork
1 large onion (I like to chop mine, but you can put it in whole)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 cup of molasses (save for end)

Directions
Soak beans overnight
Boil for 10 minutes
Drain
Add to crockpot
Add water to cover beans
add molasses, dry mustard, salt pork, chopped onion, brown sugar
Cover and put on low for 8 - 10 hrs. - I cooked mine overnight, so when I got up my home smelled great!

When cooked add 1/3 cup of molasses for extra rich flavor!

They were delicious and no one knew they weren't in the oven all day!  The best part, I just brought the entire crockpot to my sisters home, and the beans arrived piping hot!!!



15 comments:

  1. Yep, those crock pot beans do have their place. No crock pot in my house, but I'm happy with the oven.

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  2. Mmmm!!!
    What time do you want us? ;)

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  3. oh yum! i made beans for the shelter the other day. all they had to do was gently warm them before serving. i walked in yesterday and saw something madly boiling on the stove. i looked in the pot and saw something vaguely familiar...my beans! about 10 times darker than when i gave them to the shelter and cooked to death. i just know the guys that work there were prison cooks!

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  4. Boy, do they ever look good. I think I will make them next week while I'm on vacation. I'm thinking some natural casing hot dogs are going to be perfect with these.

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  5. Those bean pots are a wonderful 'Yankee' tradition which we have gleefully added to our owns! I found my recipe (clipped from a Yankee magazine) to be very near yours, albeit it uses Heritage Christmas beans or Soldiers Beans as they call it on the East coast, a small dollop of mustard, 3 bay leaves and it is baked with 3 to 4 Tbsps of molasses. I was told the leftovers were traditionally eaten on Sunday morning after church...I cannot tell as there is never any in this house!
    All the best,

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  6. I am a Southerner...but I have some Northern roots! My father and his side of the family are from Bridgewater, Maine. My Gram loved to write and I was blessed enough to get one of her journals. Y'all eat very differently from us. The baked beans is something I have read about a lot. I'm going to try your recipe. But...do tell me...what do you eat with the beans? It seems like it was a main course in days long ago...I guess "brown bread" was the side dish?! Lol. "Brown bread" is another curious recipe to! I do see a comment was left about adding hot dogs.

    My Gram passed away December 2012 at age 96! A great godly woman. She lived such a different life than what know...cultural differences but I have been so blessed to be exposed to it somewhat by visits and her writings.

    Wish I had some of those beans.........

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  7. Looks and sounds good . I have never had it . My mum passed at 72 four years ago and there will always be things that trigger or that I do in memory of my mum and thanks to her as well . Thanks for sharing . Have a good evening !

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  8. 8-10 hrs to cook these beans! The fragrance from the baking must be smelling wonderful!

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  9. The molasses does add some great flavor!

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  10. Oh I am going to try it! Have pinned to make sure that I remember.

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  11. They sound wonderful (and look delicious also!) - happy they worked out! Sorry for your loss but it's nice to remember birthdays, my mum (who will be 78 this year) count out all her mother's birthdays since she left us when I was 6, it makes us happy to remember...
    Ivan

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  12. I really should use my slow cooker more. Your bean must have smelled delicious when you woke up. They would be good with an egg for breakfast.

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  13. It is beans in the crock pot from now on- I too, was making them in the oven. Love it.

    Velva

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  14. Mmmm.. looks so good. We are expecting a cold front to move in over the weekend with snow in the foothills. This is the perfect Friday night meal! I'm off today and will look forward to getting a little grocery shopping done. Enjoy your weekend!

    xxleslie

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  15. Delicious! I love a slow cooker recipe, especially on a dreary day like today.

    Thanks for sharing -

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