How to Cook in a Bean Pot

1. Soak the beans overnight covered in a generous amount of water, changing the water at least once during soaking.

2. Drain and rinse the beans. Place in a pot and cover with water. Simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until the beans are tender, adding water as needed to keep beans just covered.

3. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

4. Gather the ingredients for your favorite baked beans recipe. You will also need a clay bean pot and an oven.

5. Place the drained cooked beans, along with the remaining recipe ingredients in the bean pot. Add enough of the cooking water to cover the beans.

6. Place the beans in a cold oven and set the temperature for 300 degrees F. Modern stoneware pots can be placed in a preheated oven, but older antique or earthenware pots should never be placed into a hot oven.

7. Bake the beans for four hours. Check the liquid level in the beans occasionally and add more of the reserved cooking water if needed. Don't let the beans dry out.

8. Beans can be kept warm in the bean pot with the lid on for several hours