Boston Baked Beans - Catsup

Brown Bread Tea

Boston Baked Beans

Friday morning early, or the night before, put 2 cups of navy beans to soak. While getting dinner Friday parboil the beans until the skins crack very easily. After dinner Friday score the rind of 1/4 pound salt pork; mix 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of mustard together with 1 cup hot water; drain the water from the beans and put part of them in an earthenware bean pot, then the pork and cover with the remainder of the beans, leaving a little of the pork rind exposed; put in a whole small onion, if desired; add the molasses mixture and hot water, if necessary to cover; put on cover, heat in the oven an hour and transfer to a tireless cooker over night if you have one; or leave in the coal range oven over night; or, if your gas oven has a lighter burner, cook the beans with it only lighted; or put in a small portable oven placed over the "simmer" burner. The beans must be cooked slowly for 12 hours or more, adding water from time to time as necessary. The last hour bake uncovered to permit the pork and beans to brown.

Brown Bread

Mix and sift 1 cup rye meal, 1 cup granulated cornmeal, 1 cup graham flour, 3/4 teaspoon soda and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 3/4 cup molasses and 1 3/4 cups sweet milk or water. Stir until well mixed, turn into a buttered mold, and steam 3 hours in a tightly covered can. Remove to oven and bake 1/2 hour. Never fill moulds more than two-thirds full. One pound baking powder cans make attractive shaped loaves.

The bread can be made the day before, put in a steamer, and reheated just before serving.

Preparing the Meal About 10 minutes before lunch time put on a kettle of water to heat for the tea. Then put bread in steamer to reheat. Now set the table for lunch, cut the butter and put on the table. When this is done, prepare the teapot for the tea and put the tea to steep. Remove the beans from the oven, transfer from the pot to a hot vegetable dish and send at once to the table. Strain the tea and serve the hot bread.