# Are we Brits the only people who like baked beans? Even the refugees won't eat them! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 9, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634 "2002-09-09T11:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/41 "2002-09-09T23:44:59Z")
I like baked beans. I have a special pot just for baked beans, although I haven’t got around to actually baking beans in it (I usually buy cans). ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/42 "2002-09-09T23:51:11Z")
Upon reading this whole thread, Ukulele Ike’s recipe is the one that I like so much. My mom and dad are from New Hampshire and my dad used to make Boston Baked Beans at least once a month when I was young. The beans absorbed the sweet, smoky, vinegary flavors very well. They tasted great when freshly made with the steamed brown bread and they tasted even better the next day. I still remember having baked bean sandwiches; it sounds disgusting but they were DELISH!!! ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/43 "2002-09-10T00:15:02Z")
Mmmm…baked beans. **Ike** , your recipe sounds _fabulous_! Never had _baked_ beans on pizza, although there is a pizza joint in town that makes a pizza with chicken, BBQ sauce, and _black_ beans (and cheese, of course). It’s delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/44 "2002-09-10T01:03:57Z")
Well, since everyone’s been so complimentary, here’s the real recipe… 1 pound Maine yellow-eye beans (acceptable substitutes: Great Northern or white navy beans) 1/4 pound salt pork 1/2 cup dark, full-flavored molasses 2 tblsp dark rum 1 tsp mustard powder Salt & pepper to taste Soak beans overnight. The following day, put the beans and what remains of their soaking liquid into a large pot, adding more water to ensure beans are covered. Bring to a simmer and, after 15 minutes, check every 5 minutes until a sharp breath will split the skin of a bean. Drain the beans and return the liquid to the pot, keeping at a slow simmer. Preheat the oven to 250. Cut the salt pork into bite-sized pieces and pour boiling water over to cover well. Drain after several minutes, discarding liquid. Mix the salt pork pieces into the prepared beans and pour them together into a 2-quart bean pot. Stir in the molasses and rum. Dissolve the mustard powder in a bit of water and mix in as well. Add seasoning to taste, starting with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Pour over just enough of the simmering bean liquid to be visible through the beans. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 5 hours, tasting occasionally, noting texture and seasoning, adding more of the remaining bean liquid (or else water) as necessary. When the beans are soft and succulent, stir them well, uncover, and bake 1/2 hour more to thicken the liquid into sauce. Serve with cole slaw and brown bread. – Thanx and a tip of the hat to John Thorne, “Knowing Beans” (Collected in SERIOUS PIG, North Point Press, 1996) ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/45 "2002-09-10T02:20:41Z")
I love baked beans and have my own ceramic bean pot though I usually use sorghum instead of molasses. And I think corn and tuna pizza is **great**! But many people do not consider me normal. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/46 "2002-09-10T02:48:15Z")
Count me as an American that can’t stand baked beans. I know plenty of people that do love them but for some reason I find them to look like something I should not eat. They don’t even taste that good to me. Too sweet for my tastes. Give me some refried pinto beans or black beans and I am in heaven. Weird but I don’t like whole beans. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/47 "2002-09-10T03:15:29Z")
Canadian baked-bean lover checking in. I love them in the cans, but my mom makes wonderful baked ones. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/48 "2002-09-10T03:20:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Exgineer \* > \*\*Thanks a whole big bunch, **Lynn**. > > I’m not going to be able to _think_ until I get my hands on some beans and cornbread. > > I’m hungry now. \*\* ManOhMan. That and a couple slabs of a good 1015 onion and you got some goooooooooood Texas vittles. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/49 "2002-09-10T03:25:30Z")
$1.19 a can - but at least it’s a big can of HEINZ. Some things I miss about the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Sivalensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sivalensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sivalensis)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/50 "2002-09-10T04:06:43Z")
Here’re the ingredients on a can of American Busch’s Best baked beans: Prepared white beans, water, brown sugar, sugar, tomato paste, bacon, salt, corn starch, mustard, onion poweder, spices, extractive of paprika, garlic powder, and natural flavor. I for one would never have thought there was tomato in there. How I like to eat them (occasionally, as in once or twice a year) is with hot dog chunks - franks and beans (and I’ve always heard them referred to as Boston baked beans, but then I’m originally from Boston…). Don’t care for the bacon in the beans, but then, I’m eating them with hot dogs anyway, so what do I care? I tried the british baked beans for breakfast when I was there this past year. Must say, I took one bite and that was it for me! Totally repulsive. But maybe it was the B&B, because the eggs were horrible too (but then again, the breakfasts in Stratford-upon-Avon, Edinburgh, and Ireland weren’t all that great, so it wasn’t just one place) and the sausages made me feel bloated and sick for the rest of the day. Give me cereal for breakfast and beans and franks for dinner and I’ll be happy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/51 "2002-09-10T05:17:53Z")
I have a can of Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans in front of me, but I see **Sivalensis** beat me to it. The only difference in ingredients between these and the “Bush’s Best” is that (not surprisingly) the pork is omitted and there are extra “spices” listed before the extractive of paprika. Why would anyone who can cook serve canned baked beans? Well, when you have 10 minutes to get dinner on the table in order to leave enough time to make the kids bathe before bed and you realize that your youngest is in a stage where she won’t touch whatever protein source you’ve prepared, half a cup of baked beans will provide her with 6 grams of protein. And you don’t have to have remembered to soak white beans overnight and then cook them for hours in order to serve them to her. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/52 "2002-09-10T05:30:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamex \* > \*\*Sweet corn on pizza??? … don’t put it on pizza! Or baked beans, either. That’s just wrong. \*\* Absolutely. Sweetcorn belongs with cheese in toasted sandwiches, and baked beans belong on toast… at least in NZ anyway. Our baked beans are no doubt very similar to **TheLoadedDog’s** Oz variety as the most poular variety sold here are the _Watties_ brand – part of Heinz – and are Navy beans in a thick tomato sauce. One may optionally purchase them with added bacon, sausages, and/or cheese. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/53 "2002-09-10T05:45:23Z")
Gidday **Apollyon** long time no er… read. Watties did a big advertising campaign in Australia a few years ago, but I don’t know if they’re still here or not. Heinz’ most popular Baked Beans product is the tomato sauce variety, but I prefer the ham sauce one. Mmmmm. I’d be hungry if I wasn’t so full of vegemite and crumpets. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/54 "2002-09-10T06:16:25Z")
You’re kidding right, it’s not a BBQ in Texas w/ out a pot of baked beans. Onions, bacon, brown sugar, etc. out of the can or homemade…gotta have 'em. Of course ol’fashioned pinto’s ain’t bad neither! ---
**Author:** ![Re\_PT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Re\_PT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Re_PT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/55 "2002-09-10T09:50:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Tamex** \* > Sweet corn on pizza??? I’d always heard that Europeans don’t eat sweet corn… We definitely have sweetcorn in England - I’ve been enjoying the wonders of that, and corn on the cob for many a year now. Although… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Kal** \* > (As is sweetcorn, which food manufacturers insist on shoving in almost every damn thing over here. \ ) …is something I haven’t noticed. For me it seems that everything has peas served with/in it - yeuck! Perhaps I don’t notice sweetcorn since I like it. Baked beans with baked potatos - yummy! Or served neat, with a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce. So, just to check, the main difference between UK and US baked beans is the addition/lack of tomato sauce - am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/56 "2002-09-10T10:01:08Z")
Here’s the deal. They’ve **got** to be Heinz - nothing else even comes close. And… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . They’ve got to be eaten _cold_. Straight from the tin cold. Preferably refridgerated. Heat them up and they lose their taste and go mushy. Urrrkk. I have to add that my experience tells me I’m something at odds with most other UK’ers on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/57 "2002-09-10T10:55:08Z")
A dear departed colleague of mine (who, incidentally, coined the phrase ‘Kingdom of Butter’) used to excitedly announce that he was treating himself to ‘[something\*] surprise’ that evening; when we eventually quizzed him on this it turned out that it was just a large bowl with something\* in the bottom and a tin of beans tipped over the top. (the ‘surprise’ element being derived from the complete covering of beans) _sigh_ I miss him. \*The [something] might be sausages or pie or a pastie etc. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/58 "2002-09-10T11:28:53Z")
The beans ive always hated was thge "bbq " beans which tasted like pork and beans made with ketchup … .like incuded with any chicken dinner from kfc the store deli ect … but the baked beans im used to is made with brown sugar and pork ,onions and really sweet in fact heinz makes beans here aso but I never knew they made difrent things til the salad cream discussion came up … someone should make a huge international food store heh i know they have various ones but say have one huge website , ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/59 "2002-09-10T11:50:11Z")
One thing that did come out of the original article is the “Daily Mail” element of society fuming about the percieved ingratitude of the refugees. “They should be grateful for anything they get etc” No one seems able to reverse the sitaution and imagine themselves in whatever hell-hole the refugees came from and being given a nice big tin of Kash-kalash with Crab juice © The simpsons. Also as a previous poster pointed out BBs are an incredibly pikey thing to give to a charity collection as they cost about 15p in a supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634/60 "2002-09-10T12:43:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\*Also as a previous poster pointed out BBs are an incredibly pikey thing to give to a charity collection as they cost about 15p in a supermarket. \*\* 9p at Tesco. Kal - the pikey. :mad: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-brits-the-only-people-who-like-baked-beans-even-the-refugees-wont-eat-them/127634.md?page=4)