Simmered Beans (Lima, Kidney or Navy)

Recipe No. 557 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Beans, Lima, kidney or navy — 14 pounds
• Water, cold — 3 gallons (12 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — as needed
• Bacon — 1¼ pounds
• Onions, chopped — 1¼ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Tomatoes — 1 No. 10 can
• Sugar, granulated — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 3¾ ounces (7½ mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — (½ mess kit spoon)

Directions

1. Wash beans thoroughly. Cover with cold water; soak kidney or Lima beans 3 to 4 hours or navy beans 6 to 8 hours.
2. Add salt. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until tender but not split or mushy.
3. Fry bacon and onions together.
4. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper; mix well.
5. Add tomato and bacon mixture to beans. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beans, Lima, kidney or navy — 1 lb 2 oz Water, cold — 3¾ cups Salt — to taste Bacon — 1⅔ oz Onions, chopped — 1⅔ oz Tomatoes — 1 cup Sugar, granulated — about 1½ tsp Salt — about 1¾ tsp Pepper — scale to taste ((½ mess kit spoon))

Beans may be cooked in ham stock instead of water. Add ham bones and cook until beans are tender but not split or mushy. Remove bones.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 557, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.