Real Food Recipe: Heavenly Baked Beans

We have always been relatively healthy eaters but everybody has their vices, mine is canned beans.  So this is the first instalment in a series of processed food replacement recipes. Due to the baby’s soy allergy/intolerance, our participation in the Nestle boycott, and the desire to eat more whole foods we’ve been making things from scratch.  There’s little as satisfying as taking an over processed comfort/junk food and using it as inspiration for a delicious meal.

Baked Beans are very easy in a Crockpot but do take a long time.  It sure is worth it though. As is all the sugar (I didn’t say this was health food).  They also freeze well.

1 lb of beans (if I can find solider beans I use those, generally I use navy beans)

1 large peeled onion studded with 3 cloves

½ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of molasses

¼ cup of maple syrup

2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

½ tsp of salt

1/8 tsp of ground pepper

2 tsp dried mustard

1/2 cup of butter (or vegan or carnivore fat of your choice)

Rinse your beans under cold water.  Cover with water and soak overnight/all day.  This soaking helps soften up the beans and starts the germination process, which helps you digest them. 

12 hours later, drain and rinse the beans really well. Toss any split beans, loose skins or generally ugly beans.

Put them in your Crockpot/slow cooker with the clove studded onion.

Add all your ingredients in no particular order.  Stir around a bit.

Turn the Crockpot on low and start the cooking.  Cook them for 12 or more hours.  I have let them cook for as long as 20 hours if that’s how the timing works out.  I know it’s a little excessive, but they really are delicious and the smell of molasses filling your house is spectacular.  Check them a few times, if the liquid has reduced too much, add a little water, if the beans seem close to ready and they’re too wet, take the lid off for a bit.  Pull out the onion bits before serving.

Although the cooking time is long, the amount of work is minimal, probably 5 minutes worth of actual labour.

I like to eat them with mustard and whole wheat toast.  I hear this is an East Coast thing.  I think I need to go have some right now…

Happy to be participating in Vegetarian Foodie Fridays.