Recipe: New England Baked Beans (1950's)

NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS

1 1/2 quarts water
2 1/3 cups (about 1 lb) pea (navy) beans
1/2 lb salt pork
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup (about 1 medium) onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt

FOR THE SAUCE:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground dry ginger

Grease 8 individual casseroles that have tight fitting covers.

Heat the water to boiling in a large, heavy saucepan.

Rinse cleaned beans thoroughly, sort through beans, discarding imperfect beans. Gradually add beans to water so that boiling will not stop. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes; remove saucepan from heat. Set aside to soak 1 hour.

Remove rind from salt pork and cut into 1 inch chunks. Set aside until needed.

When beans have soaked 1 hour, add salt pork chunks to beans along with the chopped celery, chopped onion and salt. Cover tightly and bring mixture to boiling over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Drain beans, reserving liquid. Place an equal amount of beans and salt pork chunks into each individual casserole. Set aside while making sauce.

For sauce, mix together in a saucepan, 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid, the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, black pepper and ground dry ginger. Bring to a boil. Pour an equal amount of sauce over beans in each casserole.

Cover casseroles and bake at 300 degrees F about 2 1/2 hours. If necessary, add more reserved bean liquid to beans during baking. Remove casserole covers and bake 1/2 hour longer.

Serve with brown bread.

Makes 8 servings.
Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Nov 7, 1954