Home-made baked beans?

Ginmonster

Ooh, that looks a good recipe fruittea, although it's going to make a lot of beans if you start off with a pound of dried ones!

tori.k

https://www.thetiffinbox.ca/2010/05/english-baked-beans-heinz-style.html
I use this recipe but I ditch the sugar as it makes it totally inedible (as I found out with my first batch) but the sauce was good up until the point where I added the sugar

coffeehound

Thanks Fruitea, that recipe does look delicious.

tori.k wrote: »

https://www.thetiffinbox.ca/2010/05/english-baked-beans-heinz-style.html
I use this recipe but I ditch the sugar as it makes it totally inedible (as I found out with my first batch) but the sauce was good up until the point where I added the sugar

That looks the most like a replacement for tinned. I was thinking of using stevia and Lo-Salt to make beans healthier -- do you think that would work okay? Looking forward to giving these recipes a try.

jackyann

I would begin with no salt at all, as salt can make the beans rather hard. Then adjust the seasoning.
Personally I do find that the best way to get flavour in is to cook with dilute stock. Home made, or Marigold vege stock made up at half strength.
Let us know how it goes - I would also say, don't forget other pulses - I cook yellow split peas (someties bought cheaper in Asian shops as 'dahl') or good old-fashioned mushy peas!

coffeehound

Useful info, thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that stock. I'm going to look out for a slow cooker in the chazzers this afternoon. It can run overnight on the Economy 7 cheap rate.

PipneyJane

I have made them, but it was years ago. If you have a slow cooker, then they are very cheap! Add a lump of cooking bacon for flavour. (I must try making them again. The hardest part was getting dried haricot beans.)

If I recall correctly, the sauce contained tinned tomatoes, soy sauce, muscovardo sugar and a splash of vinegar.

Datchet

We grew one wigwam of Borlotto beans last year & dried them. We got jars & jars off them! Soaked, boiled with sage & garlic and then added to a homemade Italian Pomodoro - delicious.

When they are cooked they are 4x the size of a haricot, retain shape & have a soft skin. They are creamy and soak up flavour of the sauce.

Best was adding them to a sausage casserole or flavoured with chorizo or Italian Sausage.

This year we're growing industrial quantities !

Caterina

I have regularly made my own baked beans, but without baking, and if you fiddle with the ingredients and spices you can get to near enough the taste of tinned beans, not a money saver but healthier.

Soak 2 lbs of haricot beans overnight, then boil until cooked (around 40 mins in my pressure cooker, but it varies). In a large pan, put 2 tins of tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, a couple tablespoonfuls molasses, a good squirt of ketchup, tiny splash of vinegar and adjust to taste, enough salt to taste. Simmer and then blend with a stick blender. Drain cooked beans, saving a bit if the water, add beans to sauce. Mix and if necessary add a bit if the cooking water. Let beans sit in sauce for a while to let them absorbe flavour, then taste and adjust salt or add spices if you want, or not. Makes several 1lb jars for 4 portions. I used to freeze mine but you can refrigerate if you eat lots of beans.

Winchelsea

I might try this Caterina.
I used to make them in the years BV (before vegetarianism, so pre-1978!) But I stopped then, because I used the recipe with the ham hock.
Since then I've made masses of different dhals etc and frozen them to use in various ways, including on toast a la bean!
I just buy baked beans, but now I shall try your recipe - thank you!