Homemade Baked Beans

I pulled this from a newspaper some 25 years ago and use it all the time and it has been adjusted to suit our tastes. It is great for family barbecues and also when company comes for dinner.

• 2 lbs. dried navy beans (approx. 4 cups)
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 lb bacon slices, chopped
• 1/2 lb salt pork

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. To make the soaking time much shorter, in a large pot cover the beans with cold water and bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for one hour. Now again bring to a slow boil, reducing the heat and let simmer for one hour or until the skins burst. Drain the beans reserving all the liquid.  Place the beans in a baking crock that has been sprayed with Pam.

Combine all the ingredients adding one cup of the reserved liquid. Pour over the beans mixing in and adding more liquid to cover the beans. Stir in the bacon pieces.

Cover the salt pork with boiling water and let stand two minutes. Drain and cut one inch gashes every half inch without cutting through the rind. Push the pork down into the beans until all but the rind is covered.

 Cover the crock and bake in the oven for at least eight hours. Check every hour and add liquid as needed to keep them moist. During the last hour of baking, remove the lid and let the beans brown, stirring to mix. I like it when the liquid become a little thick.

Note:  The ginger is added to remove the gas it gives us humans.  Honest it works.