Baked Beans Recipe
Boston Molasses Recipes, 1920s

1 1/2 pounds navy beans
1/2 pound salt pork
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 quarts water in which beans boiled

Soak the beans for 8 to 10 hours. Drain. Cover with cold water. Boil gently for 1/2 hour. Drain. Save the water. Pour cold water over beans to keep them whole. Place a 1/4 inch thick slice of pork in the bottom of the bean pot or casserole pan, add beans, score pork and place it, score side down, in the beans. Stir the salt, molasses, and dry mustard into 2 cups of the bean water and pour it over them; add enough water to cover the beans. Bake in slow oven 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 hours. Bake in 300 degrees oven 6 to 12 hours, or bake at 325 degrees for at least 4 hours, and uncover for last hour. The longer and slower the cooking, the finer the flavor the baked beans will have. Makes 2 quarts.