New England Style Baked Beans

Real New England baked beans start with dried navy beans and take all day. There are no shortcuts to that deep, sweet-smoky flavor that comes from hours of slow cooking with a smoked ham bone, maple syrup, brown sugar, and dry mustard.

The beans get a quick boil and soak first to soften them before their long journey in the crock pot. That initial 10-minute boil followed by a 90-minute soak breaks down the tough skins so the beans absorb all that sweet, smoky braising liquid over the next 10 to 12 hours on low.

Dry mustard is the ingredient that makes New England beans taste like New England beans. It adds a sharp, peppery undercurrent that keeps the brown sugar and maple from becoming cloying. Without it, you just have sweet beans.

Chef Tips

• Use a smoked ham bone or ham hock with meat still on it. The bone adds gelatin that makes the sauce thick and glossy
• Stir occasionally during the long cook to prevent beans on the bottom from sticking
• For thicker beans, uncover and switch to high for the last hour to reduce the liquid
• Cut the ham off the bone and stir it back in at the end so the meat is distributed throughout

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of molasses for a darker, more traditional Boston baked bean flavor
• Stir in ketchup or tomato paste for a tangier, less sweet style
• Use salt pork or bacon instead of ham for a more traditional Yankee approach