Bean Pots

[pondoro]

Stimulated by Jas Townsend's video I bought a bean pot. I found that the beans from a bean pot taste better! Also learned that my adopted state of Ohio was home to numerous pottery houses that made said pots. Ended up with five (5!) bean pots, all for less than $15 each. I still need a McCoy bean pot to fill my Ohio collection.

How historically important are they? Any documentation or original recipes out there?

 

[Kansas Jake]

I have the bean pot that belonged to my maternal great grandmother, but it is missing the lid. It probably isn't worth much except to me for sentimental value. I've never tried to use it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Not sure about any historical significance......but I have several bean pots and the do make the best beans...... :thumbsup:

Highly recommended..... :grin:

 

[nhmoose]

What ever you do, do not parboil them on the top of stove in the bean pot. It will crack out for sure and make a big mess!

I learned that over 40 years ago making our first batch when my DW and I first married. My Grandmother said parboil them first but did not say don't use the crock for that.

 

[Vaino]

Why do bean pots make the best beans? I really enjoy baked beans, especially when my Mother made them and presently how my youngest son makes them after doing some research. I don't know how either makes them, but they surely do taste exquisite.

I'm just guessing that a bean pot makes baked beans?.....Fred

 

[NeilMacleod]

All my pans are cast iron, besides being non stick basically, I find the food tastes better frying in them. Would love to get a bean pot, made New England Baked Beans a few months ago.

 

[pondoro]

I have the bean pot that belonged to my maternal great grandmother, but it is missing the lid. It probably isn't worth much except to me for sentimental value. I've never tried to use it.

Jake the antique stores are full of bean pots without lids. It is easy to understand, you lift the hot lid to check the beans, burn your hand, and drop the lid. Or walk around with the pot and the lid slides off.

I saw a McCoy for $10 that had a cracked lid, I left it there. Then I realized that I know a teenager (know her through the shooting sports, actually) who does pottery. I could get her to make me a lid! Went back to the shop and that bean pot was gone!

Get an oven safe plate (Corelle springs to mind) and put it upside down on Grandma's bean pot. Let that old pot make one last batch of beans!

 

[pondoro]

What ever you do, do not parboil them on the top of stove in the bean pot. It will crack out for sure and make a big mess!

Fair warning! Yes I parboil them in a metal pan.

 

[pondoro]

Why do bean pots make the best beans? I really enjoy baked beans, especially when my Mother made them and presently how my youngest son makes them after doing some research. I don't know how either makes them, but they surely do taste exquisite.

I'm just guessing that a bean pot makes baked beans?.....Fred

Flehto I was surprised as anyone to find out that a bean pot makes better beans! I had made them in a slow cooker for years. But when I watched the Jas Townsend video I had to try. I haunt antique and junk stores anyway. So I bought one and tried it out. It is not just me, my wife and kids swear the bean pot beans taste better, and they are often skeptical of my 19th century shenanigans.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

All you folks with lid-less bean pots, you might contact any of the following to see if they can make you a replacement:

Zettlemoyer Pottery
Steinhagen Pottery
Common Ground Pottery [email protected]
Farnsworth and Companie, Potters
Oxford Earthen Ware [email protected]

Sorry that some only have email addresses as points of contact.

LD

 

[Kansas Jake]

Thanks Pondoro. I may do that.

 

[rijerolmon]

I'll bet that 75% of the bean pots I've seen in use over the years had a plate for a cover. Now I've got to find my grandmother's receipt for Indian meal pudding, also baked in a bean pot.

 

[George]

Many years ago I saw what must be the perfect bean pot in an antique store. It was a basic cast-iron Dutch oven, with a domed lid and no legs, but cast into the bottom of the pot was this recipe for baked beans.

1 table spoon mustard
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 lbs beans
1 lb pork
4 onions

My kind of pot.

Spence

 

[pondoro]

Indian meal pudding sounds fun!

 

[coloradoclyde]

Many years ago I saw what must be the perfect bean pot in an antique store. It was a basic cast-iron Dutch oven, with a domed lid and no legs, but cast into the bottom of the pot was this recipe for baked beans.

1 table spoon mustard
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 lbs beans
1 lb pork
4 onions

My kind of pot.

Spence

:thumbsup:

 

[satx78247]

Fyi, MOST of the old baked bean recipes in the Southland/TX have beans, onions, crisp bacon, pieces of fresh/roasted pork, catsup or tomato paste, yellow mustard & bits of bell pepper.
(I think of baked beans as a "one pot meal", with the addition of biscuits & a drink.)

yours, satx

 

[pondoro]

Fyi, MOST of the old baked bean recipes in the Southland/TX have beans, onions, crisp bacon, pieces of fresh/roasted pork, catsup or tomato paste, yellow mustard & bits of bell pepper.
(I think of baked beans as a "one pot meal", with the addition of biscuits & a drink.)

yours, satx

I ate beans for years (grew up in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota), never any bell peppers. My daughter spent a lot of time around Lexington and Staunton Virginia, seemed they always had bell peppers in their beans. Regional preferences. I'm not religious about beans - bell peppers or no bell peppers are OK with me.

 

[BullRunBear]

Question: can I use a cast iron dutch oven to make New England baked beans in the oven? I don't have an appropriate clay bean pot. Any advantage of cast iron over clay or vice versa?

The idea of making a pot of beans on a cold autumn or winter day is VERY appealing.

Jeff

 

[NeilMacleod]

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/09/how-to-make-boston-baked-beans.html

 

[BullRunBear]

Dragonsfire, Thanks for that link. It may be about the best summary and recipe for Boston baked beans I've come across. The recipe I've used for years uses tomato paste. I'm going to eliminate that and go with the simpler, older recipe in the link. And without the tomato I can use either regular cast iron or an enameled pot.

To heck with waiting for cool weather. This will get tried this month.

Jeff