CRANAPPLE BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Sort beans, wash and soak in water overnight in a large pot. Drain beans. Cover by 2" with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let soak 1 hour or more. Bring beans slowly to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Drain beans and reserve the bean water. In a small saucepan, add molasses, brown sugar, cranberries, mustard powder, pepper, coffee, and vinegar with 3 cups of reserved bean water. Bring to a boil and stir until the fresh cranberries burst their skins. Fill a bean pot with alternating layers of beans, salt pork, onions, apples and cranberries. Stir to distribute all ingredients. Add the molasses mixture over the beans. Add enough reserved bean water to cover all. Stir once. Leave 1/2" of space at the top of the bean pot. Cover and slowly bake in a 225-degree oven for about 6-8 hrs. Stir the beans after 3 or 4 hours of baking and add more reserved bean water if necessary to cover the beans. Uncover the bean pot the last hour of baking to brown up the top of the beans and salt pork. Continue baking. Alternate suggestions: Add 1 C. cut up fresh carrots to the beans before cooking. Yin & Yang sort of thing. It does taste good.