Soup Beans in Mason Jars

Hot food in a cold lunch. Pinto beans slow-cooked with fatback the night before, ladled boiling into wide-mouth mason jars, sealed tight, and wrapped in newspaper to stay warm for hours. By lunch, still lukewarm, flavors deepened. A worker unscrewed the lid and ate directly from the jar with a spoon from his pocket. Survival beans, thick enough to be almost solid.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried pinto beans

Water to cover by 2 inches

• 3–4 oz fatback, salt pork, or a ham bone
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sort and rinse beans. Soak overnight in cold water, or cover with boiling water and soak 1 hour.
2. Drain soaking water. Cover beans with fresh cold water by 2 inches. Add fatback and onion.
3. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam. Reduce to a low simmer.
4. Cook uncovered 2–3 hours until beans are completely soft and the broth has thickened. The broth should be starchy and rich.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper. The beans should be swimming in their own thick, creamy liquid.
6. While still boiling hot, ladle into wide-mouth mason jars, filling to within ½ inch of the top.
7. Seal lids tightly. Wrap each jar in several layers of newspaper, then in an old towel or cloth bag.
8. The insulation keeps them warm for several hours. By lunchtime, they’ll be lukewarm and deeply flavorful.
9. Eat directly from the jar with a spoon or bread for dipping.

Notes

This wasn’t fancy three-bean salad. These were survival beans — thick enough to be almost solid, providing plant protein when meat was scarce. The jars were reusable and durable. From the 1900s through the 1950s, soup beans in jars sustained miners, loggers, and farmers across Appalachia.