Sugar-Free Proper Homemade Irish Baked Beans (2024)

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Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 12/22/23

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Sugar-Free Proper Homemade Irish Baked Beans (2)

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 3 hrs

Total: 3 hrs 15 mins

Servings: 6 servings

44 ratings

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Opening a can of British or Irish baked beans and serving hot on toast is the ultimate, tasty, fast food, and there is barely a home which does not keep a tin in the cupboard. However, homemadebaked beans addanother dimension; not only are they delicious, but you can also control what goes in and avoid the added sugar found in the canned variety.

Also, of importance is that making your own beans, in the long run, is not only more nutritious but more economical too. Unlike a can that you pull from the shelf, these beans do take a little time. But make a large pot full as they freeze really well.

Beans are an important part of afull English or Irish breakfast,or you can serve them on toast for lunch. Peas, beans, and pulsesare not only tasty, but they are good for you too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (110 grams) dried white beans
1 small onion, peeled
4 whole cloves
4 teaspoons tomato paste
6 black peppercorns
See Also
Heinz Beanz Vs. American-Style Baked Beans: What's The Difference? - Tasting Table
1 bay leaf
4 fresh sage leaves
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 (14.5oz) can tomatoes, chopped
1 tomato, diced, peeled, and deseeded
1 dash salt
1 dash freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Place the dried beans in a large bowl or pan, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight.
The next day rinse the beans and place in a large ovenproof pan or deep roasting tin, with enough cold water to cover. Preheat the oven to 320 F /160 C.
Pierce the peeled onion with the cloves and add to the beans with 2 teaspoonsof the tomato concentrate, black peppercorns, bay leaf, sage, garlic, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil on the stovetop then place in the oven for approximately 2 to 3 hours until the beans are quite soft.
From time to time during the cooking, check the beans aren't drying out. If they appear to be, lower the heat and add a little boiling water.
Remove the bay leaf,cloves, and onion. Add the diced tomato and the remaining tomato concentrate, stir, then cook for 30 minutes more. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with olive oil if using.

Tips

Try adding a littlecurry powderto the beans for a tasty alternative that's good on toast or on abaked potato.
When cooking any previously dried bean or pulse, you should never season while cooking. Adding salt during the cooking process makes the beans tough. Leave it until the dish is completed then season to your taste.

British Sides
Lunch
Beans, Peas or Rice Sides
Vegetable Recipes
Tomatoes Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
82	Calories
1g	Fat
17g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	82
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 72mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 20mg	101%
Calcium 68mg	5%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 560mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Tomato
dinner
british
boxing day

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