I have always wanted a bean crock. Sure, I have cast iron Dutch oven in two sizes that make wonderful beans either in the campfire or in the oven. I also have Pyrex roasters that make excellent beans. However, I have always wanted a more traditional ceramic bean pot. That desire was recently fulfilled. A recent sale at Gander Mountain brought us there for my wife to get some winter clothing (they offer women’s sizes, not just small men’s sizes). While she was busy shopping, I wandered about the store. I found a clearance table over by the camping goods and there were a selection of bean pots. Needless to say, one of those bean pots found its way into our shopping cart and I was, need I say it, a “happy camper.”

There are a lot of canned beans out there and some are very, very good. However, they will never be as good as the beans you prepare to your own personalized recipe. If you haven’t done so already, go ahead and try it. It really isn’t all that hard. Just use this recipe as a starting point and go from there.

• 1 pound Great Northern Beans
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup Sorghum
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 or 3 teaspoons Liquid Smoke, to taste

• 1 5-ounce can chunk ham
• 2 medium Spanish onions, diced
• 1 or 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, black pepper, a dash or 2 of nutmeg, and chili powder, to taste

1. Sort and cull beans. Place the beans in a bowl or pot with a lid. Cover plus 2-inches with boiling water. Cover and set aside until cooled, about 2 hours adding a bit of water if needed to keep covered. When cooled, add enough cold water to cover by2-inches, cover and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
2. The next day drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cool water. Heat over medium-high heat and slowly bring to a boil. When the boiling starts reduce the heat and slow simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check the beans – if not bite tender, simmer additional time. Be careful not to overcook – there will be additional cooking time in the oven.

   

3. While the beans are cooking, dice the onion and green pepper. Place the onion and pepper in the bean rock. Drain the canned ham. Add the ham, including any small morsels of fat, to the bean crock. Add the diced tomatoes and one can of the tomato sauce to the bean crock. Reserve the second can of tomato sauce until you see how full the crock becomes. Add liquid smoke, seasonings and sweeteners to taste.
4. Drain the cooked beans. Add the beans to the bean crock and gently stir to mix all the ingredients. Add tomato sauce as needed to fill the crock. Cover and place the crock in a preheated 425°F oven. A cookie sheet on the rack below is helpful during cleanup. Reduce the oven setting to 325° and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 225° and bake for an additional 1 ½ hours.

   

5. Carefully remove the hot crock from the oven to a heat proof surface. Carefully open the lid. Stir gently to mix the ingredients. Add additional tomato sauce or water as needed to keep the bean crock full. Recover and return the crock to the oven for an additional two hours. After the four hours of baking, the beans should be ready to eat. Careful! They will be hot.