The first time that I tasted cider beans was at the local gas station. Here in the mountains, folks gather at the local gas station to visit, have a meal, and catch up on the local news. Far from serving “fast food,” these little places present “home cookin’,” and it’s delicious. This good ol’ mountain recipe is very satisfying paired with cornbread or muffins.–Joan E. Aller
Where Can I get a Ceramic Bean Pot?
Thanks to this recipe, we’re experiencing some serious ceramic bean pot envy. We want one. Those of you who have one, where’d you get yours?
Appalachian Cider-Baked Beans
Equipment
- Slow cooker (if following the slow cooker method)
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried pinto beans
- 3 cups fresh apple cider
- 8 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced
- 2 small yellow onions, peeled and left whole
- 6 tablespoons molasses, preferably sorghum molasses
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- To make the Appalachian Cider Beans in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below.
To make the Appalachian Cider Beans as God intended, in the oven, pick over the beans, discarding any stones and wrinkled beans. Rinse well and place in a large bowl. Add cold water to cover by 3 inches, cover, and let soak for 12 hours. - Drain the beans and dump them into a heavy saucepan. Add the cider and slowly bring the beans to a boil over medium heat. Gently boil, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C).
- Layer half of the salt pork slices on the bottom of a 2-quart ceramic bean pot or other deep baking dish, such as a Dutch oven. Spoon the beans into the pot and then bury the onions in the beans.
- In a small saucepan, combine the molasses, dry mustard, and salt and place over medium heat until the mustard and salt dissolve into the molasses. Pour the mixture evenly over the beans and top with the remaining salt pork slices. Add the reserved cooking liquid to the pot. Add hot water as needed to cover the beans with liquid. Cover the pot.
- Bake for 4 hours, then uncover the pot and add more water if the beans seem dry. Recover and continue to bake for 1 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Serve hot, directly from the pot. Originally published June 27, 2011.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This was a fun recipe to transfer to the Crock-Pot. Wanting to keep it simple, I elected not to simmer the beans with the cider but to use 2 cups of cider with my soaked but uncooked beans. The perfect balance of salty and sweet with deep flavors of molasses and mustard.
While the beans could have used a bit more time in the slow cooker, the flavor was absolutely wonderful. I’ll definitely make these again, but I will plan on 10 hours in the slow cooker to get the beans to the point where they give up all resistance.
I placed the salt pork on the bottom of the Crock-Pot, layered the beans on top of the salt pork, and poured the cider on the beans. I then buried the onions in the beans. I heated the molasses in the microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. This was the perfect temperature for the mustard to blend into the molasses. I poured that on the beans and topped them with the remaining salt pork and set the slow cooker to high. I cooked the beans for 3 hours on high and then on low for 4 additional hours.
This would pair beautifully with the sweet potato cornbread.
I’ve been waiting to make this until I found the bean pot I wanted. I’ve had my eye on them on eBay where they are fairly plentiful, but actually came across one in a local antique shop yesterday (the exact one I wanted!). Soooo excited to make this! Check eBay with a stoneware bean pot search—there are good deals on pretty nice ones (I collect the “brown drip” style from McCoy myself. :)) Thanks for the recipe! I already know its going to rock my world.
Holly, you are so very welcome! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe. And thanks for the eBay tip, I know I appreciate it and I’m certain many others will as well. Okay, standing by at the ready to hear how this rocked your world…!
Best. Beans. Ever. I couldn’t find salt pork so I got some sliced pork belly and I cured it in salt/brine overnight and used that. Turned out pretty darn good if you asked me! And, the house smells SO good. I made it using the stove/oven method in my dutch oven and next time I’ll be trying it in the slow cooker while I go to work. Yum!
ooooh Hilary, pork belly and beans? Sounds wonderful! Thanks for the suggestion.
I tried these, but even though I cooked them in my slow cooker on high for 5 hours, and then another 3 on low, and then another 1 on high, the beans are crunchy and not soft at all. Maybe I shouldn’t have added the salt until the end?
qirien, adding salt to cooking beans can, indeed, cause them to remain hard. But this recipe calls for the salt to be added to the molasses mixture, and since our testers didn’t have a problem with that, I’m not sure if that’s the issue. Did you add additional salt? Also the age of the beans can make a huge difference.
I’m a home cook but I was concerned about this very thing when I read the recipe. In the past I have had bad luck adding an acid too soon to beans of any kind. Maybe the cider varies in acidity, giving a varied result. I add salt at the end of cooking beans as the ground they grew from determines their need for it or not. I want to try this recipe using a hard cider but I’m cooking the beans just until tender..naked (the beans). Then proceed to dress them and I’ll have to change the baking time.
Hi Penny, I understand your concern but to reiterate David, our testers loved them and didn’t have this issue. I’m curious to hear how your method turns out, please let us know.
I made these twice because the first time the beans were slightly crunchy (7 hours) – not creamy as I expected. The second time after 9 hours in a cast iron pot I got the same result. The flavor is nice but there is something going on with the texture of the beans. I doubt if I will give this a third go round. Don’t know how your testers did it.
John, beans are tricky because recently dried beans can look the same as beans that have been forgotten at the back of the cupboard for years. I didn’t have crunchy beans when I made this recipe, but I absolutely have had it happen before. The three biggest culprits for crunchy beans are age, acid, and salt. As this recipe has no acid in it and the salt is added later, I think the age of the beans could be the issue. I suggest getting top quality beans. I like Rancho Gordo. Excellent products. Also, you can try cooking the beans longer in step 2.
Hi Miles, I’m surprised that your beans didn’t get soft after 9 to 10 hours of cooking. Did you soak them overnight before using them?
Try soaking the beans overnight. And cook them in cider for the full 30 minutes. I followed the recipe and used a bean pot. I added 3 cloves by piercing them into the raw onion. Be sure to set the pot on a baking sheet. And use aluminum foil on the sheet. You will save yourself a lot cleaning time. The beans are very good.
Love your tips and tricks, Ray. Thanks so much for sharing! So pleased these worked out so well for you.