The Best Boston Baked Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the paprika and toast, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, molasses, bourbon, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
• Add the beans and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake until the beans are tender, about 3 hours. (If the beans are still slightly firm, continue cooking, stirring every 45 minutes and adding more water if necessary to just cover.)
• Once the beans are tender, uncover and increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake until the beans are thick and browned, about 1 more hour. (Again, if the beans need more time, continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary.) Remove from the oven and thin with water if necessary.

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.
• Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

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.