? Ham & Navy Beans

Dazed · 09-13-2005, 07:29 PM

I'm not sure if ham & navy beans is really a cyster friendly choice or if it's all that healthy for anybody really, but here's my question-

I've got a major craving for some good ole fashioned ham & beans, but I'm no cook so I thought maybe some of you ladies could help me out- The recipe I found online says to boil the beans and then discard the water and add 6 cups of fresh water, bring that to a boil and add:

1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 can chicken broth
2 lb cooked ham cut in pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are soft.

My question- the beans I bought are the dryed ones in a bag & on the bag it gives directions on how to soak them overnight and such. Do I still need to follow those directions first? Do any of you have a tasy recipe for ham & beans that may be better??

TIA

Jashobeam · 09-13-2005, 07:47 PM

For pintos we soak them overnight and throw out the water and use fresh to boil them in. Bag or fresh beans need the time to swell up. Use a lot more water than beans as they swell pretty good.

Rebecca527 · 09-13-2005, 07:58 PM

I don't soak my beans overnight...I'm a crock pot girl! I take the bag of navy beans, wash them off good, dump them in a crock pot with 6-7 cups of water, diced ham chunks (a ham steak is really really good for this) and set the crock pot for 6 hours. Stir it every hour or so if you happen to be home, the water will thicken up after a while. I have perfect beans every time. I always add a little salt and pepper to taste, but if you use a ham steak, they're pretty salty, so watch how much salt you add. I throw in a little onion, but it's whatever you prefer. Serve with hot homemade cornbread and you have my hubby's favorite meal! If you do the stovetop simmer method the beans will need to be soaked, but like I said, I love my crock pot and cook with it at least 3x a week!!! Beans are good for you, because they're loaded with fiber, but they're also loaded with carbs! That's the only drawback...oh yeah, that and the gas!

LOL

Dazed · 09-13-2005, 09:39 PM

Thanks for the info! I love using my crockpot also & I think that sounds like a pretty simple way to go, plus there's no heating up the house when you use the crockpot!

Thanks again!

Wendy M. · 09-14-2005, 12:07 AM

The crock pot is the best and it is so simple, I to use my crock pot alot also. You can use chuncks of ham or the smaller pieces but I also use Ham Hock if you are only using for flavor or getting some meat off the bone but not wanting alot of it. You can use that for good flavor and also I put that in beans and collard greens and also cabbage for flavor and when it cooks for awhile the meat will get so tender that it will fall off the bone and so then you got peices or chuncks from the Ham Hock. But the sell the dices or chuncks of Ham in the store in the package also. But I would do the crock pot it is so easy just throw everything in and let it go for a few hours and by later on you got your meal already with hardly no work or mess. But I have soaked overnight also and they come out real good also, but quick and simple is the crockpot. Hope you enjoy your Ham and Beans!!

tariana · 09-14-2005, 01:36 AM

Yummy! I'm not sure my DH likes beans but I'll have to ask him -- that sounds good!

ERICKA77 · 09-14-2005, 10:55 AM

Beans are good in the crock pot and cooked on the stove. Personally I think they are thicker if you cook them on the stove cause you can stir it more often. The more you stir the thicker they are. But I cook both ways. Crock pots rock on the days I work.
I soak my beans overnight, then fresh water the next day. I'll make red beans and rice. Which are pinto beans. I add onion, garlic cloves, can of rotel, ham or bacon (I actually tried turkey bacon once and it wasn't too bad), salt/pepper, and cilantro towards the end since cilantro looses flavor if cooked too long. Half way through I'll cut up some sausage and throw in there.
My grandma always used salt pork, but the idea freaks me out...LOL...Bad for you. But it does make it taste good.

DazedandConfused- your recipe for navy beans and ham sounds intersting. I wonder if it comes out sweet tasting. Let us know how it tastes. I'll probally never try it because of the brown sugar and ginger in there. Not my cup of tea. But I do love ginger though.
Good luck. These ladies gave some good tips on thier beans...

shllss · 09-14-2005, 11:32 AM

Ham and Bean soup is my dh favorite meal. I get the bag of dried 12 bean type. Lots of carbs but they are the good kind. I agree with above, crockpot that baby. You can even bring the beans to a boil in pan and then low boil for 1 hour - then drain and put them in the crockpot. They will still need to cook at least a day long to be the best. I use ham shanks, onion, celery and a little carrot. I also got a carton of this ham flavor mix in the isle with chicken broth that gives it great flavor. I will have to get the name of it - it almost looks like sand and lasts forever w/o refrigeration.