Josef Lorenz

Grandma Brown's Home Baked Beans
Servings: 9

To Central New Yorkers, Grandma Brown's Baked Beans were a staple at backyard barbecues, family picnics, and cookouts for generations. The company was founded by Lulu Brown in 1937 and operated out of a small warehouse in Mexico, NY, until it closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operations have not resumed since.
Below is my recipe for Grandma Brown's Baked Beans. You'll find the recipe contains the exact ingredients (no more, no less) of what was listed on the back of the cans. Feel free to doctor this up however you like.
Grandma Brown's also had 3 other, lesser known canned products. If you'd like to view recipes for these you can find them here:
Grandma Brown's Bean Soup with Bacon
Grandma Brown's Saucepan Beans
Grandma Brown's Split Pea Soup with Bacon

Ingredients
1 pound (about 2 cups) dried navy beans
Water, for soaking and cooking
6 slices bacon (chopped, and then minced in a food processor)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Steps
1. Rinse the dried navy beans under cold water and remove any debris.
2. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow them to soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
3. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Transfer the beans to a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the beans for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
5. Preheat your oven to 325F (160C). In a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, add the cooked navy beans, minced bacon, brown sugar, salt and baking soda to the pot.
6. Pour enough water over the mixture to just cover (about 2 cups). Stir to combine the ingredients. Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the preheated oven.
7. Bake the beans for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
8. If the beans start to dry out during baking: add a little more water as needed.
9. If the beans are not as broken down as you'd like and you want a more "mashed" texture: use a potato masher to get the desired consistancey.