Chicken Coop Chatter©
I can't call these Boston Baked Beans, and Baked Beans just seemed too generalized, so I've opted to call these Northwest Baked Beans. The combination of Navy beans, Molasses and Pineapple takes these slow cooked beans over the top. I've always been a fan of Bush's Baked Beans®, but making my own gives me the option of flavors I like that rival top commercial brands. If you want, of course you can used canned beans, and most recipes call for canned beans, however this recipe is for making your own baked beans from scratch with flavor you can't compare with the commercially canned beans.
Total cooking time, about 5-6 hours including pre-cooking time.
2 Cups dry Navy Beans (or beans of your choice-Great Northern or Pinto for example)
3 Cups Pork broth (reserved from making my BBQ Pork Sliders, but you can use any broth)
1 Can Pineapple chunks or crushed pineapple
Juice from 1 can Pineapple + plus enough water to make a full cup
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Molasses
Rinse the beans thoroughly, removing any blemished beans. Place in a sauce pan and cover with water. Soak overnight, drain and rinse, or use the quick soak/cook method, by bringing to a boil, then simmering about 30 minutes, drain and rinse. Skim any fat from the pork broth, reserving the gelatin/broth. Add the beans to the slow cooker. Cover with the pork broth, pineapple juice and water if needed, stir thoroughly. Set the slow cooker on high for about 1 hour, then on low for 3 1/2-4 hours. In the last hour, add the pineapple and brown sugar and continue to cook another 1/2 hour. Add the molasses in the last 1/2 hour of cooking. The beans should be tender, have a smooth texture and be slightly thickened, not watery and definitely not dry.
Note: If you like an authentic Baked Bean, place in a baking dish and cook in the oven at 300-350 degrees until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, however in the slow cooker, these come out so similar to baked, that no one will know the difference.
Note: There is no added seasoning or salt to this recipe. You may wish to add to taste, but in my opinion no additional flavoring is needed, allowing the individual flavors to shine.
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