Homemade Baked Beans
Ingredients
1 lb. dried pinto or navy beans
½ lb. bacon (about 12 slices)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
Place dried beans in a large bowl and add enough water to cover by 2-3 inches (about 8 cups). Let the beans soak overnight. (I put them in my 8 qt stockpot).
Drain and rinse the beans. Simmer beans in a heavy bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven with 8 cups of water and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar until tender, about 1 to 2 hours (longer is fine, especially if your beans are older). Don’t boil, as this may make your beans tougher.
Drain and set aside, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Using a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the beans and all other remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture is too thick.
Transfer pot to oven. Bake uncovered for 2-3 hours (or to desired thickness) until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
