Beans are a budget-friendly food that exists all over the world. It consists of many varieties, including black, white, red beans, chickpeas, kidney, pinto, soybeans, peas, peanuts, and navy beans.
What are Baked Beans?
They belong to the legume family and come with health-promoting nutrients. Dry beans are a rich source of folic acid, making red blood cells; regular consumption decreases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Natural anti-oxidants in beans improve insulin resistance and balance hormones (leptin and ghrelin) in women. Beans are an alternative to meat as they consist of fibrous protein.
They are naturally gluten-free food and are ideal for vegetarian and vegan eaters. Beans can provide nutrition if cooked properly by following these steps.
- First, cleaning with water
- Comes rinsing followed by soaking in normal water (soaking depends on bean type)
- Cooking.
The Composition of Baked Beans
Haricot Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), as Navy beans, and stewed white beans in tins available as baked beans. Half a can of baked beans can provide 162 calories (1.2g of salt, 0.4g of fat, and 9.8g of sugar). They are good for lunch or in the evening meal.
Baked Beans Recipe
Different countries use different beans. Baked bean recipes have different versions with added seasoning and other food items like bacon and leafy vegetables.
A variety of recipes exist of:
- American
- British
- Australian
- Pakistani versions
There are many brands of baked beans, and most commercially canned baked beans use Navy beans. These pre-cooked in cans or dry form can easily be bought from grocery markets. But the Heinz brand recipe is at the top. They are convenient as you don’t have to soak them before cooking.
Dried beans need to be soaked overnight before cooking. It took half an hour to cook these golden white beans. Saute some chopped garlic in vegetable oil, add smoked paprika to the pan to give it a kick of delicious sweet and smoky taste, and stir it at low flame.
Then add pureed/paste of tomatoes (passata) and simmer the sauce for twenty minutes until the acidity reduces. Lastly, add canned beans and cook it for ten minutes.
Some recipes also include celery, carrots, and vegetables to add flavor and texture to stew. Heinz baked beans contain water, spirit vinegar, salt, herb extract, sugar beans (51%), modified corn flour, tomatoes, and spice masala.
Ingredients of Baked beans
Baked beans usually contain tomato paste, which is naturally cancer-fighting anti-oxidant in the form of Lycopene. Standard regular beans are vegan-friendly, while some of the brands have a range of vegan varieties, like
- Aldi
- Tesco
- Waitrose
- Sainsbury
- M&S
- Morrison
- Co-op
- Biona
- Whole Earth
Their official websites have vegan-friendly food advertisements. Branston baked beans are not vegan-friendly. Many researchers say that the vegan-friendly beans after 2019 dispatching small quantities of salt and sugar in the market.
Homemade Baked Beans
Canned baked beans contain a lot of sugar and salt, so to make them ideal for vegans, a homemade recipe is best.
Ingredients are:
500g Haricot beans (or cannellini beans)
soaked overnight (8 hours)
boiled until tender, and 2 Tbsps Olive oil
one medium-sized red onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
One tsp mixed herbs
1 cup of tomato puree
2 cups of tomato paste, and
2 Tbsp of brown sugar
The bean-making recipe starts after traditional soaking (8 hrs.) and boiling till they get soft. In a pan, add oil and onions; after 2 minutes, the onions turn light pink. Then add salt, mixed herbs, and black pepper powder, and give it a quick stir.
Pour tomato puree, paste, and brown sugar, stir everything together, and add strained boiled beans to the pan. Stir it all together and cover the pan with a lid.
Check the salt by tasting the stew, then gently simmer the beans for 30 minutes on low flame. Please turn off the flame and transfer them into a bowl. Baked beans are ready with a sprinkle of coriander leaves. You can serve it with rice or with roti, and it is easy to eat with toast.
Other Options
Another different homemade recipe is also a healthier version for vegans; the ingredients are;
- One medium-sized white onion
- One can of cannellini
- Two cloves of garlic
- 100g of good-quality tomato paste
- One teaspoon of smoky paprika
- A bay leaf
- One tablespoon of tomato puree
- Chipotle flakes
- The required amount of salt
- Cooking oil
The method of making starts by adding finely chopped onion (they are naturally sweet) in a pan with a bit of rapeseed oil. Stir it for 10 minutes until they are softly caramelized, then add chopped garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Then add smoky paprika with seasoning by adding salt, pepper, and tomato puree and cook for 1 minute to reduce the sharpness of the raw mixture.
Then add bay leaf for flavor and tomato puree, and cook it for 15 minutes.
Lastly, pour all cannellini beans into the cooking pan and leave it on a low flame for a few minutes with a lid on.
Before serving, remove the bay leaf and sprinkle some chipotle flakes on it to give it a light kick of heat. In this recipe, no sugar is extra as onions are naturally sweet, but if anyone want, then a pinch of sugar is fine.
Homemade beans can be stored in airtight containers, refrigerated for two days, and frozen for three months for reuse.
Conclusion
Baked beans should be a part of a vegan diet, although brands are not labeled. Heinz Beanz is ideal for vegans with no animal-derived product. At the same time, other brands are not vegan-friendly, like No Added Sugar Beanz, 5 Beanz, Organic Beanz, Peri Peri Beanz, Fiery Chilli Beanz, Barbecue Beanz, and Curry Beanz.
They are excellent for diet-conscious people, are high in fiber and lycopene, and contain a suitable quantity of protein and iron. They are free from chemicals, preservatives, and artificial colors.
FAQs
Q. Can vegans eat baked beans?
Yes, they are a good source of vegan protein. Most brands are vegan-friendly. Homemade recipe is also a healthy option.
Q. Why are Heinz beans not vegan?
Heinz beans are vegan; no Added Sugar bean by Heinz is not vegan as the vinegar is easy to use with animal-derived products. Similarly, 5 Beanz, Organic Beanz, curry Beanz, Peri Beanz, Barbecue Beanz, and Fiery Chili Beanz are not suitable as well.
Q. Where do baked beans come from?
Baked beans had their origins in Native American cuisines. Indigenous people cooked recipes as a staple belonging to tribes of Narragansett, Penobscot, and Iroquois. They make stews in earthenware pots with maple syrup and sometimes make meat versions kind of dishes to create high protein and full-fat content.
In the 17th century, Christian pilgrims learned the traditional recipes from the tribal people, and thus, the journey of baked beans started. It was common practice for pilgrims to cook the beans as a Saturday supper, and the leftovers were eaten on Sunday after church prayers. In ancient times, they were cooked over the fire with meat cubes to make them delicious.
In 1886, different immigrant communities in England adapted the recipe and made various versions. Boston, Massachusetts cities of New England, known as ‘Beantown,’ and cook the molasses sweet dish by adding salted pork, onion, and black pepper. Henry Heinz started the massive production of tinned forms in 1895. Now, the company in Pittsburgh produces baked beans in cans.
It was considered a luxury food item in the UK as it was delivered to posh London grocery stores, Fortnum & Mason. After a considerable hit, sales spread globally in the early 20th century, reaching Antarctica too (in 1910-13). Crates of Heinz Beanz made their way to the expedition and were eaten cold.
After that, the supply of Beanz was worldwide, and it is now readily available in small stores. Classic recipes were reinvented in 2012 and modified, and many brands have removed pork and made it ideal for vegetarians’ and vegans consumption.
Q. Can you freeze baked beans?
Yes, they can freeze for about three months in a refrigerator.
Q. Are baked beans good for weight loss?
Baked beans are good for weight-conscious people as they contain improved dietary fiber and gut digestion.
Q. How long to smoke baked beans?
Smoked baked bean stew is made on fire (with wood chunks), requiring two hours of cooking on a smoker for the best taste.
Q. What type of beans are baked beans?
They are kidney beans, French, haricot, flageolet, borlotti, marrow, cannellini, black, pinto and red beans. The most common baked beans are white navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Q. Can a dog eat baked beans?
No, baked beans contain sugar and are unhealthy for pets as they might increase the risk of diabetes.
Q. What beans are used in baked beans?
These Haricot beans are white navy beans. These exist in South America.
