Recipe
Baked Lima
Beans
From the Kitchen of William
Duffield,
the Loxahatchee
Toolworks
in the Richard Wood House, ca.
1720
2 Lbs. Dried Lima Beans*
1 Lb. Bacon, diced fine**
2 Medium Onions, chopped
1 Lb. Brown Sugar
12 Oz. Ketchup***
2 Tbsp. Coleman's dry mustard
1 Tbsp. Soya Sauce****
to taste Salt
Wash lima beans. Soak overnight.
Drain. Cover with water & 1 Tbsp. Salt. Cook 30 minutes, until tender. Mix
other ingredients in 3 Quart bean pot or cassarole. Spoon beans, without liquid,
into other ingredients. Mix. Cook covered in slow oven (250° F) for 4 hours.
Remove lid for last half hour.
A quicker alternative is to cook
in microwave on slow for 1 1/2 hours and brown in oven for 1 hour. Can be
frozen, if your guests leave you any leftovers. Serves
20-25.
* Dried lima beans are
commonly available in two sizes. I use the larger ones. They provide additional
visual and tactile interest. When you soak them, use plenty of water. They just
about triple in size. Watch them carefully while they are cooking, or as soon as
you turn your back, they'll froth and boil over.
** For vegetarian
beans, substitute 1/3 Cup canola oil and smoked tofudebeast.
*** I substitute
Cattlemen's Barbeque Sauce for about a third of the ketchup, and I'm usually
generous with the ketchup. Do not substitute catsup.
**** I can offer no
explanation for the soya sauce. There's still a lot about cooking I don't
understand. Sometimes, when I am adapting a handed-down recipe, like this one, I
accept some of the original ingredients just because I have learned that if I
don't, bad things will happen.
