Dried Great Northern Beans Food

THE ONCE AND FUTURE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Soak beans in a plastic container overnight in just enough cold water to submerge them completely.
• Place a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the bacon, onion, and jalapenos until enough fat has rendered from the bacon to soften the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses.
• Drain the beans and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven. Place the soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal 4 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in cayenne, black pepper and salt. Give them a stir and cover with the lid. Place the Dutch oven in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.

LISA'S DRIED GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Look over the beans and remove any rocks or broken beans. Rinse the beans and put in a large pot. Add water, about 8 cups or enough to cover by at least an inch. Bring to a boil on stove. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf and ham hock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Makw sure you don't run out of water and that the beans don't scorch. Add more water if necessary.
• After beans have softened (about 2 hours), add salt and pepper to taste.
• Continue cooking until beans are done. Make sure the soup is not too thick or too thin. (I usually get it too thick but you can always add water to thin it out.). Remove bay leaf and serve.

ULTIMATE GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Make sure that there is twice as much water as beans because they will swell up.
• In a large cooking pot, pour in the cooking oil and toss in the smoked jowl pieces. Stir and allow them to sizzle over medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes. After they brown a bit, deglaze the pot with about 4 ounces of the chicken broth.
• Add the onion and allow to simmer until the onion is tender, stirring often.
• Rinse the beans in fresh water a final time and, after draining, add them, plus all the remaining ingredients into the pot. This should include the 48 ounces of water listed in the ingredients.
• Boil, covered, over low heat until beans are tender, stirring occasionally (about 2-3 hours).
• Serve with cornbread, fried potatoes, eggs and biscuits.
• If you wish, you can use chunks of ham or bacon instead of pork jowl.

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and drain beans.
• Heat water, beans, bay leaves, onion, bacon and potatoes to boiling in 8-qt. stock pot; boil 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.
• Add tomato sauce, instant bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic and half of the carrots and celery to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours (do not boil or beans will burst).
• Stir remaining carrots and celery into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Stir in additional 1 or 2 cups water for thinner consistency.
• Using a slotted spoon and a wooden spoon, scoop potatoes against inside of pot and smash them, letting smashed potatoes drop back into the soup.
• Stir in butter and milk and serve immediately.