Baked Beans For Canning

Step 1: Soak beans in 3 quarts of water, (make sure they are covered!) for 12-18 hours. Drain.

Step 2: Return beans to pot and cover with 3 quarts of fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the bean skins begin to split. Drain the beans, reserve the liquid.

Step 3: Transfer the beans to a 4-quart or larger covered baking dish. Chop the bacon and onions. Add them to the beans. Combine the brown sugar, salt, mustard, and molasses in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the reserved bean liquid (or 1 cup orange juice and 3 cups water). Pour the sauce mixture over the beans. Don't stir! Cover the beans and bake them in a preheated 350-degree oven for 3 to 3.5 hours. The consistency should be like a thick soup. Adds more liquid if the beans become too dry.

Step 4: While the beans are baking, prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot.

Step 5: Ladle the hot beans into your prepared jars, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive tool, adding more beans/liquid as necessary to maintain the proper head space. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the lids and caps, hand tightening the bands.

Step 6: Process your filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hr 20 minutes (pints) or 1 hr 35 minutes (quarts). [adjust for elevation if needed!] After the pressure in the canner has returned to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid.