Nana's New England Maple Baked Beans

October 14, 2023 Sara St. Peter

Wood's team member Sara St. Peter is sharing a special treat with this sixth generation Maple Baked Bean recipe that was passed down to her from her Nana, soon to be 92-year-old Edith Young. Edith got the recipe from her great-grandmother and has been making it her whole life. Hearty and infused with Maple goodness, it's been a staple on their holiday tables for around two hundred years and is enjoyed on a regular basis with hotdogs and Boston Brown Bread.

Nana's New England Maple Baked Beans

Sara St. Peter

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Prep Time

12 hours

Cook Time

6-8 hours

Ingredients

2 lbs. soldier beans (redeye beans)
½ medium sweet onion chopped
1 ½ cups Maple Sugar (can do 50/50 maple sugar and cane sugar if the maple is too strong for you)
2 tablespoons molasses (black strap is preferred)
1 tablespoon salt (pink Himalayan is preferred)
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices of bacon (or salt pork)
½ cup maple syrup
Option — If you can’t get soldier beans you can substitute great northern beans, but they absorb more water than soldier especially if you’re using a cast-iron pot.

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Directions

Soak your soldier beans overnight.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
In the morning, drain your beans and rinse them. Add your beans to a large stock pot and cover them with water. Throw your ½ onion into the pot whole or dice for a more intense flavor. Parboil your beans on high heat until the outer layer of the skins starts to crack and peel.
Drain the beans in a colander (do not rinse again because the beans will become mushy) and add to a bean pot/cast iron pot/or crockpot, onion included. The type of pot has an effect on the consistency of the beans. A bean pot will make a firmer bean while a crockpot will result in a softer bean. Add maple sugar, molasses, mustard, ginger, cinnamon, and Maple Syrup to your beans. If using salt pork or a salty cut of bacon, hold off on adding salt until the beans cook a while or you’ll over-salt your beans. Himalayan salt is less salty than common table salt so you’ll need to adjust accordingly. Cover the beans with water, and stir.
Roll your bacon (or salt pork) up into a pinwheel shape and place it in the center of your beans (it’s okay if the bacon doesn’t stay in the shape).
Bake your beans until they start to gently bubble, about 2 hours, then reduce heat to 350° F. Continue to bake until they’re softened to your preference, usually about 4-6 hours tasting about every half hour for constancy (when using a bean pot or cast iron pot). You must taste your beans as time goes on to make sure they’re done to your liking. If you’re using a crockpot your beans will lose less water and not need as much tending. If you taste your beans and they’re dry and sticky, you can add a small amount of water at a time, generally around ¼ cup, then wait at least a half hour before checking consistency again. Too much water too fast will turn your beans into soup!
Salt to taste.
They’re done when you like them!