Easy peasy slow cooker beans
By Sari Huhtala
These homemade beans are perfect for people on the run, and oh so tasty. If you haven’t read the ingredient label on canned beans lately, now’s a good time to start. Conventional canned cooked beans are prepared with everything from sodium nitrite to caramel colour – some of which are made with ammonia compounds. A friend passed this recipe on to me about 25 years ago when life was crazy busy with kids and career, and I’ve tweaked it over the years to make it healthier – swapping out brown sugar for coconut sugar, and reducing the initial amount of sugar and ketchup that it called for. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Feel free to reduce the level of sugar and ketchup that is called for in the recipe even more.
Slow cooker beans
Makes about 8-9 cups of cooked beans.
Ingredients
3 cups of dried white navy beans, soaked in a pot of cold water for about 12 hours.
- 3/4 cup organic ketchup
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
Soak beans overnight, then drain and rinse. Place all ingredients in slow cooker; cover and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low. Stir a few times, if possible. Add a little more water if necessary. Store in refrigerator for up to four days. The brown beans also freeze well.
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