Vermont-Style Baked Beans (1992)
This maple-laced, slow-cooker recipe for Vermont-style baked beans ranks high among our favorites. Don’t forget the smoked bacon!
By Yankee Magazine|Mar 11 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanThere are literally hundreds of recipes for baked beans in the Yankee archives. We couldn’t re-test all of them, but this maple-laced, slow-cooked dish ranks high among our favorites. We love the bacon, but be sure to use a brand that’s not too smoky, to avoid overpowering the rest of the party. Yellow-eye beans are a traditional Maine crop, but navy beans are a good substitute (although they don’t hold their shape as well).
Yield:
6 to 8 servingsIngredients
1 pound Maine yellow-eye beans
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 medium onion
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1/2 pound cob-smoked bacon, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons sweet mustard
1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or to taste)
Instructions
Pick over beans; discard debris. Soak overnight in fresh water, just enough to cover. The next day, discard the water; cover beans with fresh water and bring them to a rapid boil for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Add baking soda and stir well. Drain beans, reserving the liquid.
Heat oven to 350°. Peel onion, and pin bay leaf to it with clove; set aside. Leave 6 bacon strips whole; cut the rest into half-inch pieces. Line the bottom of a 3-quart bean pot (or Dutch oven) with 3 bacon strips.
In a medium-size bowl, combine beans, bacon pieces, pepper, dry mustard, maple syrup, and salt. Spoon mixture into pot and nestle onion in the center. Arrange remaining bacon strips on top. Add enough reserved liquid to cover beans, and cover the pot with the lid. Cook 4 to 5 hours or until beans are tender and flavorful. If beans start to dry out, add more reserved liquid. Leave the pot uncovered for the last half-hour or so to let beans brown.
Just before serving, mix sweet mustard and vinegar and stir into beans. Adjust seasoning, adding salt, maple syrup, mustard, or vinegar to taste. Beans should be a little sweet, a little spicy, and well seasoned.
Love this recipe. Could it be made in a slow cooker?
Baked beans – soak 2 lbs of any beans you prefer overnight – rinse transfer to oooking pot with diced large onion, salt porc, 3/to 4 slices of bacon, dry mustard, molasses, brown sugar, little salt, (baking soda) top with salt porc skin – fill pot with boiling water 1 “ over beans bake 325 6/7 hrs – adding boiling water as needed.
This recipe is not the recipe I was taught. No bay leaf. No maple syrup. Use original recipe back in the mid 40’s and 50’s.
Where could we find your original recipe? Thank you….. it sounds interesting.
What makes these beans “Vermont style”? What other styles of baked beans exist in New England?
Mostly the maple syrup. Boston baked beans are made with molasses and/or brown sugar.
Thank you for answering my question.
My mom used a recipe that called for white sugar instead of maple syrup or molasses. These were the best beans.
We used brown sugar
I am a life long native Vermonter, born in the 50’s. I never knew anyone in Vermont that used “Maine” Yellow eye beans, we always used Kidney beans, no clove, no bay leaf, and salt pork or bacon. We cooked them all day (6-8 hours) in the oven. Philip C.
Yes I agree
I also would like the 40-50’s recipe please????????
My mom made a baked bean recipe with beans that were kind of white/beige and size and shape of Lima’s. It had maple syrup and bacon but that’s all I remember. I doubt she used bay leaf. Any ideas?? Thank you
Navy beans were used and the state is divided over maple syrup or molasses! And it’s a creemee, not soft serve lol
Can I cook these beans in my crockpot?