# Baked beans recipes wanted **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888 "2009-02-15T00:23:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/61 "2009-02-16T17:49:56Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I think crockpot beans are just all right, by me. But the problem is that they remain soupy and never develop a crust like down home baked beans. The oven baked beans I’m used to has a nice dark crust with crispy bacon slices baked into and latticing the top of the fairly thick beans. They are baked in a cake pan with more exposed surface area for carmelization and evaparation- more like a cake, than a soupy tureen. It’s also the only way to get baked beans that are a suitable paste for a baked bean sandwich. Some people might consider it cheating but I did mine in the crockpot and got thick, crusty beans using corn startch. That being said, I’m going to try the next batch in oven before deciding which method I prefer. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/62 "2009-02-16T18:19:32Z")
If there isn’t prepackaged salt pork in the meat section of your grocery, ask the butcher. Salt pork also freezes well, so don’t be afraid to get a good-sized hunk. You’ll find other recipes to use it in! A good crust is essential for baked beans, so remove the lid the last hour of cooking, or do the spread on a cookie sheet thing **devilsknew** recommended above. I generally find that second-day beans are quite thick enough for sandwiches without the spreading, but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/63 "2009-02-16T18:23:16Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Bourbon fer sure. My recipe calls for “any recipe for baked beans that has pork in it”, and then add 1/2 cup bourbon and a cup of very strong coffee. Maaaaahvelous, dahling. Thank you, I’ve been at work all weekend and couldn’t get back to that. My wife loved them with bourbon and coffee and didn’t believe me when I told her my ‘secret’ ingredients. Plus, cooking was a blast. _A little for the beans, a little for me…a little for the beans…_ ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/64 "2009-02-16T18:33:31Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Some people might consider it cheating but I did mine in the crockpot and got thick, crusty beans using corn startch. I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t read that… ☹ Beans are starchy, so you could have resorted to mashing a small amount of them to release their thickening power and uncover the crock pot to speed evaparation, and perhaps just turn the crockpot up and cook longer. But I would never add cornstarch, no offense but it just seems like all kinds of wrong. I think the key to proper baked beans is to let the starches and carmelization develop naturally with low dry heat and time, a long time. Really, I agree with what someone said upthread. These are “crockpot beans”, not baked beans. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/65 "2009-02-16T18:38:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If there isn’t prepackaged salt pork in the meat section of your grocery, ask the butcher. Salt pork also freezes well, so don’t be afraid to get a good-sized hunk. You’ll find other recipes to use it in! > > A good crust is essential for baked beans, so remove the lid the last hour of cooking, or do the spread on a cookie sheet thing **devilsknew** recommended above. I generally find that second-day beans are quite thick enough for sandwiches without the spreading, but YMMV. I didn’t say anything about spreading on a sheet pan, Hell Naw! Just bake them in a **shallow casserole or cake pan** covered with foil, remove the foil the last hour of cooking or so. No spreading on a sheet pan. A 9X13X2 cake pan is ideal ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/66 "2009-02-16T18:44:36Z")
That’s what I get for typing with a cat on my chest. I still don’t bother, though. Taking the lid off the pot works just fine. Now, of course, I’ll have to make a batch myself. I wonder if there is any salt pork in the freezer… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/67 "2009-02-16T21:31:35Z")
Oh, boy; those beans are smelling good! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/68 "2009-02-16T21:52:02Z")
Yeah, crock pot might not be the best way to go. After 15 hours (7 yesterday and 8 today), they’re still a little more firm than I’d prefer them to be. How long are you guys doing them in the oven for? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/69 "2009-02-16T21:57:17Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > Thank you, I’ve been at work all weekend and couldn’t get back to that. My wife loved them with bourbon and coffee and didn’t believe me when I told her my ‘secret’ ingredients. > > Plus, cooking was a blast. _A little for the beans, a little for me…a little for the beans…_ I get the same reaction. My husband seems to think that these two ingredients are common (even normal) in baked beans, but mine are the only ones I’ve ever had with both bourbon and coffee. I can’t get enough of 'em!! I wish I was a bourbon drinker! Your way sounds way fun! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/70 "2009-02-16T21:59:10Z")
**silenus** said six or seven hours. Mine have been in the oven for just under six hours. I just took the lid off to brown the top, and I saw that there was still liquid in the bottom of the pan. I’m thinking another hour. Did you put salt in with the beans? Adding salt at the start tends to keep beans firm. I added 1/2 tsp salt this morning because I wasn’t quite awake when I started (even after the trip to the store to get the salt pork). But it was only a little salt; and, while I didn’t sample the beans yet, they don’t appear to be too firm. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/71 "2009-02-16T22:05:34Z")
I did add just a couple shakes of salt at the start. I’ll remember not to do that next time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/72 "2009-02-16T22:20:17Z")
Cook’s Illustrated did a series of tests awhile back that pretty much disproved the “salt = toughness” UL about beans. Was a big surprise to me, since Grandma always swore that salting early led to tough beans. Sorry, Gran! However, they did find that _acidic_ ingredients would make for tough beans, so if you have a recipe that calls for tomatoes, add them late. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/73 "2009-02-16T23:02:16Z")
Well, my beans aren’t tough; in spite of having added salt at the beginning. Normally I let the smoked meat do the salting. In any case… Yes, I’m having a bowl of baked beans! They turned out nicely. Only looking at the pot, I’m wondering if one pound of beans was enough. Maybe next time I’ll use the two-pound recipe. Incidentally, once I started making this I used a combination of **silenus** ’s and **kittenblue** ’s recipes adjusted for one pound of beans. Thank you to all who contributed! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/74 "2009-02-17T03:51:48Z")
You guys have inspired me - I went out and got some beans and found the salt pork near the sandwich meats, just as **Johnny** suggested. I’ll soak them tonight and try **silenus’** recipe tomorrow. Only problem - no bourbon. I don’t drink it. The only hard liquor I’ve got is Screech and brandy - would either of those work instead of bourbon? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/75 "2009-02-17T04:13:44Z")
So who’s ummmm, errr . . . uhhh . . . \ . . . _a little gassy?_ ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/76 "2009-02-17T15:39:58Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Purists say no, and there is a small difference. However, bacon will be just fine IMO. [Old thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=471738) regarding the use of bacon in baked beans. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/77 "2009-03-02T01:01:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Indeed, man! > > I’m going to try **silenus** ’s recipe first, though I’m going to use great northern white beans (that I have) instead of white pea beans (which I haven’t heard of); and I’m going to cut the recipe in half. > > I have Br’er something-or-other dark molasses and Mary-something organic unsulpherated molasses. I’ll choose one or the other. The only dry mustard they had at the store was Coleman’s, so that’s what I’m using. (And I like Coleman’s prepared hot mustard.) I might be able to make it to the market before I have to start working. I hope they have salt pork. If not, it will have to be the bacon. Now that I look closer, my recipe is just a half-recipe of Silenius’s! I made them today, because this thread was driving me crazy…I haven’t made the beans in years! I didn’t realize I’d bought a 2 lb. bag of beans, so I had to make a double batch, and fortunately I own two bean pots! I used Great Northern beans, and added extra salt pork…no sense leaving 4 ounces sitting in the package, now, is there? Soaked the beans overnight, drained and rinsed, parboiled them and rinsed…we’ll see if that hepls at all! I didn’t need to add any water at all…in fact, they boiled over in the oven, so we will get to try the oven-cleaning feature for the first time with this new oven! But they are so good. So very good. I called my brother to come over and get some…he hasn’t had any for years, either, and whenever I cook something from our childhood, I like to give him a portion, too…as much as he loves his wife, sometimes a guy wants some of HIS family’s recipes, too…and he’s the cook at their house! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/78 "2009-03-02T01:16:09Z")
Funny that this thread should pop back up today. My 2nd try is almost done. I soaked the beans overnight last night (unlike last time) and I went with a much simpler recipe. Last time I think I got a little too mad scientist and all the flavors ended up clashing instead of complimenting each other. I’ll report back on how this one is different. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/79 "2009-03-02T03:15:21Z")
I’m glad this thread popped up - I meant to soak the beans tonight and had forgotten! shall put them in water right away. to get back to my earlier question - no bourbon, so would screech or brandy make a better substitute? I’m thinking the screech might be closer to the sweetness of bourbon? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888/80 "2009-03-02T05:07:56Z")
Tonight’s batch was head and shoulders above the first one. A _little bit_ bland though. No, not bland, just not as bursting with flavor as I would like. I left the bacon out because I’m trying to cut down on sodium, but next time I think I’m going to have to splurge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baked-beans-recipes-wanted/485888.md?page=3)