Baked Beans from Scratch

Place 1 ⅓ cups dried navy beans that can be fitted with a lid. Pour fresh water over the beans until the water is at least 1 inch above the beans. Seal the container shut. Soak beans for 8-12 hours.

After soaking, drain the beans. Add the soaked beans to a large stock pan. Cover beans by 1 inch with fresh cold water.

Bring water to a rapid boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Drain cooked beans well.

Alternatively, you can speed up the process by cooking the soaked beans in the Instant Pot after they have been soaked (Navy beans' texture is best if soaked before cooking.)

Preheat oven to 300℉ (150℃).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 3 slices thick bacon (chopped). Cook until bacon begins to render fat and then stir ¼ cup minced yellow onion. Sauté bacon and onions together until onions begin to soften and the bacon is browned and slightly crisp. This should take about 5-6 minutes. After browned, drain off the excess grease that the bacon has rendered.

In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup tomato sauce, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ cup apple juice, and ½ cup water until well combined. Add in bacon and onion mixture and cooked beans and gently stir to combine.

Pour the bean mixture into a 2-quart oven-safe dish. Beans should be pretty well submerged in liquid and the mixture should be relatively loose. If there does not seem to be enough liquid in the baking dish, add up to ½ cup of additional water or juice. Cover the pan with foil or an oven-safe lid.

Bake covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the lid or foil, and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until thickened.