Boston Baked Beans

If you’ve ever wondered why they are called “Boston” Baked Beans, it’s because of the molasses.

Boston has been tied to molasses since colonial days when the city was a trade center for rum from the Caribbean. Molasses is used for rum production and is a by-product of sugar refining and was easily available to the colonists.

Ingredients

· 1 pound small, dry white beans such as Navy beans or Great Northern beans

· 1/3 cup molasses

· 1/3 cup brown sugar

· 4 tablespoons mustard (We use Dijon)

· 1 teaspoon Pick-A-Peppa sauce

· 3 cups hot water

· 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

· 1 medium onion

Method

Cover beans with at least two inches of water and either soak overnight or bring to a boil and let them soak for one hour.

Whisk together molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and Pick-A-Peppa sauce with hot water.

Add half the bacon to bottom of crock pot, and then add half the beans. Add onion, remaining beans and bacon, and cover with molasses mixture.

Cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender.