Baked Beans

Stick to the ribs home made baked beans

2 1/2 cups dried white navy beans

water

1 cup molasses

1/4 cup diced fatty ham, bacon OR salt pork

2 tbsp bown sugar OR 1 tsp brown sugar splenda

1 onion minced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp each dried ground ginger and cloves

1 tsp dry mustard

pepper and/or red pepper flakes(optional)

Rinse the beans and remove any pebbles etc. Put in a pot with about 2 quarts of water,cover tightly and bring to a rolling boil.

Turn off the heat and cool and soak the beans for 1 hour.

Into a deep crockpot, put in the molasses and other remaining ingredients, add pepper/red pepper flakes to taste(or omit if you don't want the heat)

Drain the beans, discard the soaking water(this helps to reduce the "musical" properties of the beans), add the beans to the crockpot and add enough boiling water to cover  them, and mix well.

Cook on high for about four hours(until the beans are done), stirring every hour or so- I put a couple of pot holders on the lid to help speed up the cooking.The fatty bits will rise to the surface and can be removed prior to serving.

Keeps in the fridge for about a week, and freezes well