Two Baked Bean recipes worth saving and sharing

Sherri's Vermont Baked Beans

3 cups (1 1/2 pounds) dried navy beans or great northern beans
3/4 pounds salt pork or bacon
1 medium onion, peeled
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed  (optional)
1 cup (or more if you omit brown sugar) maple syrup

1.  Wash and sort beans.  I usually use the package directions on how to soak, cook and to skim off the white foam from the boiling beans, etc.  If there are no directions on the package I soak the beans overnight.  Then I cook the beans the next day in ample water with 1 tsp baking soda.  I simmer for 10 minutes and drain and rinse the beans.
2.  To make Sherri's Vermont Baked Beans:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Trim rind from pork and cut the pork almost through in 1/2 inch intervals.  Place the onion on the bottom of a 4 quart oven proof casserole.  Pour in beans. Bury the pork, cut side down in the center of the beans.   Combine the salt, ginger, sugar (if using) and maple syrup in a small bowl or measuring cup and pour over the beans.  Add just enough water to barely cover.  Bake covered for 6 hours stirring each hour or so.


Ruth's Boston Baked Beans
Ruth says this is from Durgin Park, one of the oldest restaurants in the U.S.

After soaking, cooking, simmering, draining and rinsing 2 pounds of white beans, place a large chopped onion in the bottom of a 3 quart oven proof casserole.  Add 1/2 pound chopped bacon. Add the beans on top.  Cover with another 1/2 pound of bacon.  Mix 8 Tbsp. sugar, 2/3 cup molasses, 2 tsp dry mustard, 4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.  Pour this over the beans and add enough water to barely cover.  Do not stir.  Bake 6 hours, covered at 300 degrees after a couple of hours stir and check beans.  You may have to add a bit of water now and then but don't make them too wet.