Old Fashioned Beans

Wash, discarding imperfect ones 2 pounds beans. Cover with two quarts of water. Bring to the boiling point, boil 2 minutes then let soak 1 hour or more.

Without draining, cook slowly until the skins burst when you take a few on the tip of a spoon and blow on them. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Fry 1/2 pound of fat salt pork or bacon. Let stand 2 minutes, drain, and cut 1-ich gashes every 1/2 inch without cutting through the rind.

Put the beans in the bean pot. Push the pork down into the beans until all but the rind is covered. Mix

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup molasses

1 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons sugar, brown or white

Add 1 cup of the reserved water and bring to the point. Pour over the beans and add enough more water to cover the beans. Cover the bean pot. Bake 6 to 8 hours at 250 F. Add water as needed to keep the beans moist. Uncover the last hour of baking so that the rind will be brown and crisp.

To flavour the beans with onion, rub the inside of the pot with onion and add a few slivers of onion. If you like a pronounced onion flavour, put a peeled onion in the pot with the beans and remove it when you serve the beans.