Sea Room

Acadian Baked Beans

" 'What's for supper, Ma?' asked Gil. ... He bent over to kiss her on the forehead.

'Beans n' franks.' Zabet Dupuy, born Elizabeth Bastarache, leaned forward to offer her forehead to her son. ...Knowing, mischievous eyes, round and dark as plums, peered from under white eyebrows ready to tease the humor from any situation."
                                                                                              -Chapter 2

Traditionally Saturday night supper was the time for the bean pot. Nana would soak the beans overnight Friday and put the beans in a "slow" oven Saturday morning so that they would cook most of the day. The kitchen was filled with that wonderful aroma of beans cooking.

Ingredients

- 1 lb beans (white pea beans or yellow eye) 5-6

- 1/3 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon paprika

- pepper to taste

- 1/4 cup catsup

- 1-1/2 teaspoon vinegar

- 1/3 cup molasses

- 1/4 cup maple syrup

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/3 lb salt pork, cut in small cubes

Preparation

Soak the beans in cold water, covering them with about six inches, overnight.

When ready to bake, put chopped onions and salt pork in the bottom of the pot. (Note: casserole dishes, bean pots or even aluminum pans may be used for baking.  However, after the beans are cooked, do not store them in aluminum pans.)

Drain the beans, rinse them, fill a different pot with clean water and boil the beans  for about 10 minutes.  While the beans are boiling, foam will accumulate on top. Skim the foam off with a large spoon and discard it.  

Drain the beans and put them over the salt pork and onions.

Put all the other ingredients in a bowl.  Mix them, then add about one quart boiling water.  Mix well, then pour this mixture over the beans.  Add enough boiling water to cover the beans by 1/2".

Cover the dish with a lid or foil, sealing the edges well.  Bake at 250° F for about 7 hours. (You may bake at 300° F for 6 hours.)

While the beans are baking, check them every 2 hours to make sure the liquid is not below 1/2" from the top of the beans.  If lower, add more boiling water to bring the liquid level to 1/2".  Do not add more liquid for the final 2 hours of cooking.

Serve with franks and freshly baked bread.

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