Beans and peas being richer in protein than any other vegetable food are often used as substitutes for meat; being deficient in fat, salt pork or some other fat may be added in the cooking. Dried beans are more easily digested if the skin is removed. Beans and peas, as before stated, do not cook tender in hard water and a little soda added to the water in which they are first boiled will help soften them.

Baked Beans

Soak 1 qt. pea beans over night. Drain, cover with fresh water, add 1 ssp. soda, and boil about twenty minutes. Drain. Boil 1/4 lb. salt pork twenty minutes. In the bottom of a bean pot put 1 whole onion, the salt pork, then the beans. Mix 1/2 ts. mustard, 3 ts. salt in \ c. molasses and pour over the beans. Cover beans with the water in which the pork has boiled. Cover the crock closely and bake in a very slow oven from four to six hours. Add water as needed, keeping them nearly covered with water until the last hour of baking.