Vegetarian Boston Baked Beans Recipe

How to make it

---

• Soak the beans overnight in plenty of tap water. Or, you can bring them to a boil on the stove and then turn them off; cover them and let them sit for an hour or two.
• After the initial preparation, boil your beans on the back of the stove for about 30 to 45 minutes. They won't be perfectly soft, but they will be almost soft.
• Drain off the cooking water.
• In a very large casserole (4 quart) combine the semi-cooked beans, salt, dry mustard, molasses, sugar, onion (if you’re using it), olive oil and liquid smoke to taste. Add enough hot water to barely come to the top of the beans. Put a lid on the casserole, or tin foil. Bake the beans at 300° for about 5 to 7 hours. They will be tender, fragrant and delicious.
• The cooked beans may be frozen in 2-cup portions to substitute for canned baked beans. They make a good main dish, or a side dish for a large crowd.
• NOTE: I was concerned about adding Liquid Smoke, so I looked up what it actually is. This is what I found... Liquid Smoke: This potent, concentrated seasoning adds a smoky, hickory, mesquite flavor to meats, bean dips, beef jerky, poultry and seafood. Since it is very concentrated, use sparingly, a few drops will be sufficient. This seasoning can be found near the barbecue sauce section in most grocery stores. Liquid smoke is produced by a safe, water-based process. Wood chips are burned, and the condensed smoke is formed into a liquid. The liquid is filtered to remove all unwanted byproducts.