Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 quart dried white pea beans, picked over
• 3/4 lb bacon or salt pork
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (Coleman's preferred)
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 cup water, boiling

Directions

1. 1

   Soak beans overnight in water.

2. 2

   In the morning, drain and cover with 2 quarts of fresh water.

3. 3

   Heat to simmering point and cook slowly for 1 1/2 hour or until skins burst readily when a bean is removed from the pan and blown upon.

4. 4

   Drain.

5. 5

   Cut off one slice of pork and score through the rind in squares.

6. 6

   Place the slice of pork in the bottom of the bean pot, add the par-boiled beans and bury the other piece of pork in the top portion of the beans, having only the scored rind exposed.

7. 7

   Mix the salt, sugar, mustard, molasses and boiling water; pour over the beans, adding enough additional boiling water to cover.

8. 8

   Cover the pot and bake at 250F for 6 to 8 hours, adding additional boiling water as needed.

9. 9

   Uncover during the last half hour of baking to brown the top.

10. 10

    Variations: Maine and Cape Cod baked beans; place a peeled onion in the bottom of the bean pot. New Hampshire and Vermont baked beans; use maple syrup or maple sugar in place of the molasses. Connecticut and New York baked beans; add onion and tomato ketchup or chili sauce.