1940s-Inspired Baked Beans

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They may be humble, but beans are a glorious food. They are inexpensive and available year-round. They are easy to store dried, canned or frozen. They lend themselves to all sorts of recipes from soups to salads to mashed vegetable dips. They are full of fiber, protein and minerals.

During World War II, governments were working hard to be sure their citizens got enough nutrients to remain healthy and active. A weak, malnourished population would have been ripe for takeover. All hands were needed on deck, and they needed to be able to work long hours in challenging conditions. People also needed enough calories to feel satiated. Beans—particularly during months when fresh garden produce was not available—would have been an ideal way to satisfy appetites. They could be served hot or cold, with or without meat, or as a meat replacement. During the war homemakers used ground dried beans as flour, mixed beans with meat in stuffed vegetables, or seasoned them into meatless dishes such as Lima Bean Loaf.

Ever-Ready for the Weary Homemaker

At the beginning of the 1900s, Henry Heinz began to sell canned baked beans, already cooked, seasoned and ready to serve. They appeared in military rations where they could be eaten straight from the can. They also became a popular convenience food for the folks at home, good alone or mixed into any number of other recipes.

They were an enormous help for homemakers who worked long hours at volunteer posts and then had to hurry home to prepare family meals. They were easy to store, inexpensive and quick-cooking—an important consideration during a time when food scarcity was closely followed by fuel scarcity. And, they could be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A World of Variety in a Simple Dish

Although baked beans have existed for many centuries in various forms, having them canned and ready to eat created a small revolution on the Home Front. They transformed meals into something tastier, more nutritious and more filling. But making your own isn’t difficult.

Different parts of the world have different tastes when it comes to baked beans. In the northeastern US they must have salt pork, molasses and ground mustard. In Britain, they need sauce that tastes like garden-fresh tomatoes. In Central America you might find them refried or in Asia, with soy/oyster/chili sauces and garlic! In Australia, some make them with chili flakes, Dijon mustard and parsley. In many countries, including Canada and New Zealand, part of the flavor profile comes from serving them on buttered toast. I have a recipe for something similar in another blog post, “A Powerhouse Food in Times of Need,” and can testify that beans and toast are SO good!

There are countless recipes for baked beans and, unfortunately, an ingredient in many of them is…a can of baked beans. That shows how popular canned baked beans still are! I am including a simple recipe here using pantry ingredients and no canned baked beans. It can be made with or without meat and can be adapted to your preference of sweet or spicy. These are what homemakers might have made when they had time and fuel enough to make baked beans from scratch.

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Baked Beans

Yield 6

Author Harriett Sebastian

These delicious baked beans are easy to make on the stovetop or in the oven. Add ground beef to make them a hearty main dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454g) pinto beans, soaked & cooked OR 3 cans (15oz/425g) pintos
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
• 1 small diced onion OR 1-2 tablespoons (5-10g) dehydrated onion flake
• 4 ounces (113g) diced pimientos
• 1 cup (240ml) water
• 1 cup (227g) tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup (204g) ketchup
• 1/3 cup (64g) packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) molasses
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons (10g) yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper
• OPTIONAL: 1 pound ground beef, cooked

Instructions

1. Drain excess liquid from cooked (or canned) beans and set beans aside.
2. If using fresh onion, sauté in olive oil until translucent. If using dehydrated onion flake, add it along with all other ingredients to a baking dish (OR a large pot if cooking on stovetop).
3. Add beans (and cooked beef, if using); gently stir to blend all ingredients together.
4. Bake 1 hour at 325°F (163°C) OR gently simmer on stovetop for 1 hour. Stir once or twice during cooking. Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

It helps reduce the gas in beans if you change the soaking water once or twice and then use fresh water for cooking the beans. When using canned beans, it helps to rinse them and use fresh water for cooking. Some people use a small amount of baking soda or cook beans with a potato to absorb the gas.

“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:7