A Little Bitter... but Can Be Fixed First off I was looking for a basic baked bean recipe - I wasn't looking for healthy which these definitely are not. I didn't have any bourbon so I left it out (part of the flavor problem?). The beans smelled heavenly cooking. We even had a neighbor tell us he wanted some! The beans needed 12-hours cooking time on low after an 8-hour bean soak. I have found that beans always take much longer to cook than people think. When I went to taste them they had a bitter after taste. So I'd cut the mustard in half next time. Also they are a bit too rich. I'd cook the bacon first (probably cut down the amount of bacon too) and drain it then brown the onions. That's really it! I feel like this could be a really solid reliable recipe with these couple of tweaks so not going to abandon it just yet. And the bourbon - I'll get some. Pros: Pretty Good Flavors Cons: A Little Too Much of Everything
Read carefully What exactly makes these beans healthy? Is it the 1/2 cup portion size? The bacon? The bacon fat that you don't drain off before adding it to the crock pot? I expect that when I read a recipe in Eating Well that has healthy in the title that it will in fact be healthier than a standard recipe.
takes much longer than stated time I soaked my beans the night before. But they required much much more cooking time than stated in the recipe.
Minimul unhealthy ingredients. Quite Healthy. Yum! I have never had baked beans made with white beans but have heard of them. I am very glad I tried this recipe. Thanks for the post! Pros: On hand ingredients and great taste
Beans age too! Having read the other reviews I made sure to get beans that had not been sitting on a store shelf for years. Note: Though dry beans will keep for a long time they DO age and dry up. This is why bean recipes can be so variable. Get your beans in smaller quantities from a busy bulk store. Otherwise this was a good basic recipe. I prefer fatback to bacon and added a dash of liquid smoke to blend better with the ribs. I also like to serve these with Sriacha on the side for a little heat. Pros: Easy Cons: Don't freeze well
Yummy Easy Slow-Cooker Baked Beans This was my first time making slow cooker baked beans. I did not use the bacon vinegar or salt and I substituted dark agave for molasses. The beans are absolutely delicious!!! I followed the quick soak directions and cooked them on low for 7 hours and they weren't soft enough so i turned them on to high for about another hour and a half! Pros: Easy and Yummy! Cons: Need to cook longer than recommended!