Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Canned Baked Beans

Who doesn't love baked beans? They're sweet, savory, cheap, and may even be an aphrodisiac. But you may want to think twice about buying canned varieties if you want to enjoy a version you'll like the most.

There's nothing really wrong with canned baked beans, but like most ready-made foods, they never quite match up to made-from-scratch recipes. The sauce may be too sweet or flavorless, the taste may lack meatiness from added pork, and the beans' texture could be too soft for your liking. But when you make them yourself, you get to control every aspect of the dish. 

Cooking raw beans may seem like a time-consuming task, considering how easy it is to just heat up a can, but most recipes are surprisingly hands-off and offer a great amount of customization. This Bark's baked bean recipe can help you with the basic fundamentals of the dish, like soaking the beans beforehand, using the right proportions of sugar and acid, and how long to cook them for the perfect texture. From there, a simple recipe can be tweaked to your preferences by swapping out ingredients, adding new ones, and changing the cooking times to get the beans to your perfect level of firmness.

Baked beans are traditionally a sweet and savory dish, but from that starting point, you can use flavorings based on your palette. Do you want a little extra fat from bacon, the simplest way to upgrade baked beans? Do you prefer using honey over sugar? Could chopped jalapeños provide the right amount of kick? Take inspiration from various recipes and craft your own perfect formula.

If you're looking to add flavor to the beans themselves, start with the liquid used to boil or soak them. It may take more time than opening a can, but soaking dried beans overnight is easy, ensures that they cook evenly, and leads to better-tasting results. Adding ham hocks to water is a great way to add a rich, smoky flavor, though you can opt for smoked turkey necks for a pork-free option. For a boozier touch, try adding a couple shots of bourbon to a flavorful broth. This pairs excellently with the molasses or other sweetener added later in the recipe, and complements meaty flavors.

To add some extra flair while baking the beans, try laying some raw bacon over top. When to add it depends on the thickness of the strips and what temperature you use to cook your beans, so be sure to time it correctly. And mixing in some cayenne gives the dish a little spicy kick.