Title

New-Fashioned Boston Beans

Subject

navy beans

pea beans

bacon

brown sugar

molasses

ketchup

onion

salt

dry mustard

water

cooking oil

Description

NEW-FASHIONED
BOSTON BEANS
(Basic recipe — Makes 6
servings)

1 pound dried navy
or pea beans
Water
6 strips bacon, cut
into 1½x1-inch
pieces
3 tablespoons
brown sugar,
packed
3 tablespoons
molasses
3 tablespoons
ketchup
½ cup chopped
onion
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dry
mustard
2 cups water

OVEN METHOD: (6
hours, 30 minutes baking
time) Wash beans thor-
oughly and soak overnight
in enough cold water to
cover. The next day, drain
off water. Place beans in
4-quart Dutch oven. Add 4
cups water. Cook over
high heat until mixture
comes to a boil, about 10
minutes. Reduce heat to
low. Cover and simmer 20
minutes. Pour beans with
liquid into 2-quart glass
casserole or bean pot. Stir
in bacon, brown sugar,
molasses, ketchup, onion,
salt, mustard and 2 cups
water. Cover. Bake in 300-
degree oven 5½ hours,
adding some hot water if
necessary during the last 2
hours to keep beans moist.
Uncover. Bake 30 minutes
more.

Back:
PRESSURE COOLER
METHOD: (1 hour, 8 min-
utes plus 20 minutes wait-
ing time) Use ingredients
listed in basic recipe, but
reduce salt to ½ teaspoon
and water to 3 cups and
add ¼ cup cooking oil and
1 tablespoon salt for soak-
ing beans. Wash beans
thoroughly. Soak beans
overnight in ¼ cup cook-
ing oil, 1 tablespoon salt
and enough water to cov-
er. The next day, drain off
water.

Fry bacon in 4-quart
pressure cooker over medi-
um heat until crisp, about
8 minutes. Add drained
beans, brown sugar, mo-
lasses, ketchup, onion, ½
teaspoon salt, mustard and
3 cups water. Close cover
securely. Place over high
heat. Bring to 15 pounds
pressure, according to
manufacturer's directions
for your pressure cooker,
about 10 minutes. When
pressure is reached (con-
trol will begin to jiggle),
reduce heat immediately
and cook 50 minutes. Re-
move from heat. Let pres-
sure drop of its own ac-
cord, about 20 minutes.

SLOW COOKER METH-
OD: (6 hours, 8 minutes
cooking time) Use ingredi-
ents listed in basic recipe,
but use 6 cups water.
Wash beans thoroughly
and soak overnight in 6
cups cold water in 3½-
quart slow cooker. The
next day, cover and cook
on high setting 3 hours or
until beans are tender. Fry
bacon in 10-inch skillet
over medium heat until
browned, about 8 minutes.
(Do not drain.) Drain beans
in colander, reserving
cooking liquid. Combine 2
cups reserved cooking liq-
uid, bacon with bacon
drippings, brown sugar,
molasses, ketchup, onion,
salt and mustard in slow
cooker. Stir in drained
beans. Cover and cook on
high setting 3 hours more.

---

# New-Fashioned Boston Beans

*Serves 6*

## Ingredients

### Base Recipe
- 1 lb dried navy or pea beans
- 6 strips bacon, cut into 1 1/2 x 1 inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 cups water (plus additional water for soaking and parboiling)

---

## Method 1 — Conventional Oven
*Total time: approximately 7 hours (plus overnight soak)*

### Additional Ingredients
- 4 cups water (for parboiling)
- Hot water as needed during baking

### Instructions
1. Wash beans thoroughly and soak overnight in enough cold water to cover. Drain.
2. Place drained beans in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Add 4 cups fresh water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat — approximately 10 minutes.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Pour beans and cooking liquid into a 2-quart glass casserole or bean pot.
6. Stir in bacon, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, onion, salt, mustard, and 2 cups water.
7. Cover and bake at 300°F for 5 1/2 hours. During the last 2 hours, check periodically and add hot water as needed to keep beans moist.
8. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more until beans are tender and top is lightly browned.

---

## Method 2 — Pressure Cooker
*Total time: approximately 1 hour 8 minutes cooking plus 20 minutes pressure release (plus overnight soak)*

### Modified Ingredients
- Reduce salt to 1/2 tsp (from base recipe)
- Reduce water to 3 cups (from base recipe)
- Add 1/4 cup cooking oil (for soaking)
- Add 1 Tbsp salt (for soaking only)

### Instructions
1. Wash beans thoroughly. Soak overnight in 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1 Tbsp salt, and enough water to cover. Drain.
2. Fry bacon in a 4-quart pressure cooker over medium heat until crisp — approximately 8 minutes. Do not drain fat.
3. Add drained beans, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, onion, 1/2 tsp salt, mustard, and 3 cups water to the pressure cooker.
4. Close cover securely according to manufacturer's directions.
5. Bring to 15 pounds pressure over high heat — approximately 10 minutes.
6. When pressure is reached and control begins to jiggle, reduce heat immediately and cook 50 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow pressure to drop on its own — approximately 20 minutes. Do not force-release.

---

## Method 3 — Slow Cooker
*Total time: approximately 6 hours 8 minutes cooking (plus overnight soak)*

### Modified Ingredients
- Increase water to 6 cups (from base recipe)

### Instructions
1. Wash beans thoroughly. Place in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker and soak overnight in 6 cups cold water.
2. The next day, cover and cook on high setting for 3 hours or until beans are tender.
3. Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned — approximately 8 minutes. Do not drain fat.
4. Drain beans in a colander, reserving cooking liquid.
5. Combine 2 cups reserved cooking liquid, bacon with drippings, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, onion, salt, and mustard in the slow cooker.
6. Stir in drained beans.
7. Cover and cook on high setting 3 hours more.

Creator

Alice Yetka, Martha Yetka

Source

RCA0006 - The Yetka family collection that started the project (eBay)

Date

1960s

Rights

Personal/Family

Format

Printed pamphlet page

Identifier

RCA0006-20260609-0139

Coverage

Oregon, US