Old-Fashioned Baked Beans
1 pound dry navy beans or dry Great Northern Beans (about 2 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup bacon or salt pork, cut up
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup molasses or maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Rinse beans. In large Dutch oven combine beans and 8 cups water. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to Dutch oven. Stir in 8 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain beans, reserving liquid.
In a 2 1/2-quart casserole combine the beans, bacon, and onion. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid, the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.
Bake, covered, in a 300 degree oven about 2 1/2 hours or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add additional reserved bean liquid.