Boston-Style Baked Beans

Recorded method

1. Rinse and soak.Rinse the navy beans. Soak overnight in plenty of water, then drain.
2. Cook the beans.Cover with fresh water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 60 to 75 minutes until just tender but not falling apart. Reserve all cooking liquid. You should have about 4½ cups. Set the beans aside.
3. Build the flavor base.Cook bacon over medium heat until well rendered but not fully crisp. Add onions and cook 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and peppers and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
4. Add liquids and seasonings.Add all 4½ cups of reserved bean liquid, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, mustard seed, paprika, bay leaves, and liquid smoke if using. Bring to a simmer.
5. Combine and simmer.Add the cooked beans and stir well. Simmer uncovered 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened but still plenty saucy. The beans will continue absorbing liquid during processing, so keep the mixture on the saucier side.
6. Taste and adjust.Adjust seasoning to taste and remove the bay leaves before filling jars.
7. Recorded pressure-canning process.Keep jars hot. Fill each pint no more than ¾ full with beans, then ladle hot sauce over them, leaving a full 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, recheck headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids and fingertip-tight bands. The card records 65 minutes for pints at 11 lb on a dial gauge or 10 lb on a weighted gauge at 0 to 1,000 feet, with pressure adjusted for altitude. Let pressure return to zero naturally before opening the canner. Use current tested guidance as the controlling process.