Everything from potlucks to a simple family meal can benefit from homemade baked beans. Using the long soaking process for the beans rather than boiling them quickly is one of the best tips for making them, as is taking advantage of every opportunity to add flavor to the dish. Don’t rush the process: the key to a delicious finished dish with homemade baked beans is low heat and a long cooking time. While the beans are baking, make sure to check on them and give them a quick stir every now and then to ensure that there is plenty of liquid.
There are two methods for soaking dry beans: a quick boil and an overnight soak. Choosing the longer soaking method is one of the best tips for making homemade baked beans. It will not only save you time on the day you cook the beans, but it will also soften the legumes to allow them to absorb all of the flavors you’ll be using in your homemade baked beans.
Beans are often thought of as a flavor blank slate because, with the right ingredients, you can make the same type of beans taste a million different ways. Because of their lack of distinct flavor, it’s critical to flavor the beans as much as possible while they’re cooking. Simple substitutions, such as using chicken broth instead of water or sauteing the onions in bacon grease instead of oil, can make the difference between a good and an amazing dish.
The rich, deep flavor of homemade baked beans comes from the low and slow cooking method. If you try to rush the process, you’ll end up with undercooked beans covered in sauce instead of robustly seasoned, tender beans. In general, the dish should be cooked in the oven for at least four hours, if not more, depending on the type of bean and the size of the batch. While it may be tempting to increase the heat, keep the temperature low; 275°F to 300°F (135°C to 149°C) is ideal.
Homemade baked beans will usually cook themselves once you’ve finished preparing them, but you should still check on them every now and then. After you put the beans in the oven, stir them every 45 minutes to an hour, and then check them every 15 to 20 minutes to make sure they have enough liquid before uncovering them to finish the cooking process. If there isn’t enough moisture in the beans, they will not become tender.