Yolanda's Baked Beans

Baked Beans

2 cups beans (yellow-eyed or Navy)
3 quarts water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 medium diced onion
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon natural sea salt
1.5 teaspoons dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 pound diced bacon

The day before, carefully pick over and wash the beans with cold water. Soak the beans in 3 quarts of water with the lemon juice added ~ at least overnight, or up to 24 hours.

Drain and rinse beans. Cover them with more water and bring to a boil. Then, simmer them until when you blow on a few, the skins split.

Drain and rinse the beans and put them into a cast iron dutch oven or a good sized casserole dish with a lid.

Mix together all the rest of the ingredients and stir that into the beans.

Pour in boiling water, just enough to cover the beans and stir again.

Put on the lid and bake at 250 degrees F. for 8 hours. Check them from time to time and add a bit more boiling water if you need to. For the last 30 minutes, take off the lid.

You can visit Yolanda's blog here: http://simplyhomemaking60.blogspot.com/

I got this recipe from my friend Yolanda's blog. When I made them I did a few things different. First off I used navy and black beans and soaked them overnight in water with 1/4 c. whey. In the morning I rinsed them twice covered them with water again and pressure cooked them for 20-25 min. I then mixed in the ingredients and pressure cooked them for another 20 min. Living in this 5th wheel I don't want to heat the place up using the oven. That's why I used the pressure cooker. These beans are amazing. This recipe is a keeper.

Edited again to add: I forgot to mention that I used splenda instead of Sucanat and I also added 1 T. liquid smoke because I wasn't going to be baking these for a long time in the oven.