Homemade Baked Beans from Dried Beans

"Best baked beans I've ever had," said the chief gardener after eating beans that we grew (var. Kenearly Yellow Eyes) soaked overnight and baked in a sweet/savory sauce with bacon ends (compliments of Six Buckets Farm), molasses, onions and brown sugar. These beans take a little extra time but are easy and super tasty! Don't worry about the volume - you'll enjoy the leftovers!

We grew and dried these white beans. Pretty and delicious!

In a large saucepot, Soak beans overnight. Add 1/2 tsp salt, bring beans to a boil,
reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.

Drain beans reserving liquid.

Place beans in a casserole. Add remaining ingredients.
Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Sweet, savory, smoky. Amazing!

New England Baked Beans
Adapted from The Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (1987 edition)

1 lb dried beans (navy or great northern)
1/4 lb salt pork or bacon, chopped
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Rinse beans. In a large heavy saucepot soak beans in 8 cups water overnight. Add 1/2 tsp salt to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 1/4 hours. Drain beans, reserving liquid. In a 2 1/2 quart casserole combine beans, pork or bacon and onions. Stir in 1 cup reserved liquid, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more of the reserved liquid if necessary. Makes 6-8 servings.

Preparing winter squash

We had a great winter squash harvest this year, resulting in acorns, butternuts and a few varieties of pie pumpkins. Squash is one of my favorite side dishes. In addition to being flavorful and easy to prepare, fresh, uncut squash will hold for months (between 50-60 degrees is optimal).

Squash recipes are plentiful and I strive for the easiest preparation, which generally eliminates peeling. Many recipes calling for peeled squash can be modified to use squash roasted in and scraped from the skin.

Although they might not be much to look at, the butternut (l)
and acorn (r) squash are tasty fall treats.

To prepare, carefully cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Thoroughly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place squash cut side down and roast at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Flip squash cut side up and, if desired, stuff cavity. For the acorn squash, I made a bread stuffing
with apples and cranberries. The butternut was sprinkled with cinnamon. Brown sugar and butter were placed in the cavity. Return the stuffed squash to the oven for an additional 25 minutes.

Finished squash. Comforting, filling and healthy!

You can bake squash cut side down for 45-50 minutes, scrape flesh from skin and mash for a casserole. I added a a bit of butter, nutmeg and a drizzle of maple syrup. This is a great Thanksgiving side that can be made the day before and heated in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes (while the turkey rests). Roasted flesh can also be used as a base for cream soup.

Squash Stuffing
1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup celery
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup dried bread cubes
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 small apple, peeled, cored and cubed
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 tsp dried sage or 2 tsp fresh sage
1/2 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or cider
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan cook onions and celery in butter just until softened, about five minutes. Combine sauteed vegetables with bread cubes, cranberries, apple, bacon, and sage. Add stock/cider, stirring to moisten ingredients.  Divide stuffing evenly between four partially baked acorn squash halves. Return to oven and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Leave a comment with your winter squash preparation tips!

Freezing Green and Wax Beans

After a rough start, our green and wax beans are producing. A lot. We love beans and find them a versatile veg that can be used in a variety of dishes.  Lots of folks preserve their beans by canning, but I prefer to freeze my beans. Seems the freezer is easier on the beans while the rigors of canning leaves them overcooked and soft. And freezing beans is fast and easy.

Just picked yellow wax beans

Beans with ends removed and snapped into bite sized pieces

Beans are blanched quickly in boiling water for 2-3 minutes

The vacuum sealer makes quick work of packing while eliminating freezer burn.

Beans ready for the freezer!

Prepare
After picking rinse beans and remove debris. Remove ends and snap into bite sized pieces (or leave whole, if you prefer).

Blanch
Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Lower beans into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to stop the action of enzymes that cause the beans to lose flavor, color and texture. Remove beans to ice bath to stop the cooking action.

Freeze
Place beans in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible to reduce freezer burn. We use a vacuum sealer. Place containers in the freezer and use with a year.

So what do I do with all those beans? They make a very fast side dish. Without thawing, I can heat in a pan with butter, salt and pepper. If I have a bit more time and I'll add bacon (recipe below). I also use in pot pie fillings, casseroles, stew and bean salads. When preparing, remember freezer beans are not as fully cooked (not as tender) as a commercially canned bean. Substituting in recipes may yield a different result.

Let me know how you prepare your fresh frozen beans!

Sauteed Green Beans
Beans and bacon pair well and while it's not an everyday side dish, it is a delicious way to showcase your bean crop!

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cups fresh frozen green beans

Add bacon and butter to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bacon is cooked, 3-4 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Stir in green beans and lower heat. Add lid and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally (longer if beans were added frozen). Remove lid, cook until liquid is evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Serve.