There is no better way to cozy up during this colder weather than with a steaming bowl of baked beans! While we all know about the brightly coloured condiment bottles of yellow mustard, the mustard plant has many more uses! Mustard seeds can also be pressed to make mustard oil and its edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens.

The United States has a number of variations of baked beans – from the Northern New England version, which uses maple syrup for flavoring, to the Boston area, which uses molasses, to the Southern United States, which uses mustard! Mustard is to be credited for giving the southern style beans their tangy taste!

Don’t like the look of this recipe? Get creative! We’d love to see what you come up with instead! While the program is now full, we have shared this month’s recipe below and invite you to follow along and join the discussions on the Facebook Spice Club event page! 

FUN FACT: Did you know that the wild mustard plants are closely related to the radish and turnip?

READING LIST: If you are looking for some more inspiration to keep adding ground mustard to your recipes, check out these cookbooks from our collection.

Southern Baked Beans*

INGREDIENTS:

•  1 lb navy beans, soaked
•  1 onion, chopped
•  ½ cup molasses
•  ½ tsp dry mustard
•  ¼ cup brown sugar
•  1 tsp salt
•  ¼ lb salted pork, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine onion, beans, and water to cover.
2. Simmer for 60 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
4. Remove 1 cup bean liquid and combine it with the molasses and seasoning.
5. Layer the salt pork and beans in a heavy baking dish.
6. Pour the molasses mixture over all. Add additional liquid to cover.
7. Cover the dish and bake it for 4 hours.
8. Uncover the dish and bake it for an additional 60 minutes, until tender. Throughout the cooking process, add more liquid if needed.
9. Serve hot.

*Recipe from Global Road Warrior™️ by World Trade Press. Access this online database for free with a Huron County Library card to get information about holidays, festivals, culture, travel essentials, and other beneficial travel knowledge.