Heinz Beans, produced in England, are a staple for many Brits both in the UK and abroad. You might have been surprised to find Heinz Beans as a tasty side dish in a full English breakfast if you’ve been to the UK. They are also great on toast or as a filling for jacket potatoes (a k. a. baked potatoes). Heinz Beans are the ultimate in comfort food, no matter how they are served.
The UK version of Heinz Beans is an absolute favorite of the Master Taste Tester. Through the years, I tried unsuccessfully to reproduce this humble product. And yet, RecipeTin Eats shared a fake recipe that looked so much like the real thing that I had to try it. They were about as close to the real thing as I could have imagined. [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Heinz is an American company founded in 1869 in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1886, Heinz baked beans were exported to England and first sold in Fortnum & Masons.
Originally, the beans included pork and much more sugar than now. Over the years, the sugar level was decreased to suit the British taste. Because of meat shortages during World War II, pork was omitted.
Some significant differences exist between the Heinz beans produced in the UK and those produced in the US. The two main differences are the sugar level and the sodium level.
If you compare the two types, I think the US version is better because it has twice as much sugar and almost twice as much sodium.
Today Heinz beans are produced near Wigan, in Northwest England. The Wigan factory is the largest food factory in Europe. An astonishing 3 million cans are produced every day. Of that, over 2 million cans of beans are consumed every day in the UK.
Check out the Inside the Factory episode if you’re interested in seeing the amazing process of how these tasty beans are made.
Baked beans are a beloved side dish, especially at summer barbecues and potlucks. The rich, sweet and tangy sauce is what really makes baked beans so irresistible. But have you ever wondered what exactly goes into that classic baked bean sauce? In this article, we’ll uncover the ingredients that give baked beans their signature taste and texture.
The Main Players
Baked bean sauce is made from a handful of core ingredients:
-
Beans – Traditional baked beans use white or navy beans,
-
Pork – Small pieces of bacon, ham or salt pork provide smoky, savory notes
-
Sweeteners – Brown sugar or molasses lend a touch of sweetness
-
Tomato – Tomato sauce, paste or ketchup acts as the flavorful base.
-
Spices and seasonings – Mustard, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt and pepper add depth.
By combining these key ingredients, you get that thick, sweetly spiced and slightly tangy profile that we all love. Let’s explore each one further.
Beans
While any bean can work, small white beans like navy, pea or great northern are classic. Canned beans are very convenient. If using dried, they must be soaked overnight and fully cooked before baking. The beans soak up the surrounding flavors of the sauce.
- Provide protein and fiber
- Absorb flavors from other ingredients
- Create the thick, stew-like texture
Pork
Traditionally, baked beans contain pork for a hit of savoriness. Pieces of smoked bacon, ham hocks or salt pork are common.
- Adds a smoky, salty, umami flavor
- Can use veggie bacon for a vegetarian version
- Pork fat also lends richness when rendered
Tomato
Tomato is the base that brings everything together. Tomato sauce, paste or ketchup are used.
- Tomato sauce provides tangy flavor
- Also lends color and sweetness
- Helps create a thick, saucy texture
Sweeteners
Sugar and molasses are classic baked bean sweeteners. They balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Brown sugar offers caramel/butterscotch notes
- Molasses brings robust, bittersweet flavor
- Dark corn syrup can also be used
- Sweetens and thickens the sauce
Spices and Seasonings
Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper add seasoning.
- Worcestershire brings savory umami and depth
- Mustard seeds contribute tangy spice
- Vinegar brightens with acidity
- Salt and pepper round it out
Spices like dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne can also be added to suit taste.
Supporting Cast
Onions and garlic are typically cooked down at the start to provide an aromatic foundation.
- Onions – Add sweetness when caramelized
- Garlic – Extra flavor dimension
Some other optional ingredients can further enhance flavor:
- Maple syrup or brown sugar for added sweetness
- Bourbon, beer or coffee for complexity
- Liquid smoke to mimic long-cooked flavor
How It All Comes Together
The process of crafting the sauce is straightforward:
- Cook any pork, onions and garlic to build flavor
- Add beans, tomato base and sweeteners
- Season with Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar and spices
- Simmer until thick and saucy
The sauce ingredients are combined in a pot on the stovetop or baked in the oven. This allows the beans to soak up all the surrounding flavors.
Regional Variations
While the above ingredients are standard, baked bean recipes do vary regionally.
-
Boston – Molasses and salt pork are distinctive. Often baked with salt pork on top.
-
Great Britain – More tomato-based with bacon. Sometimes includes beer or cider.
-
New England – Maple syrup can feature prominently.
-
Canada – Canadian bacon is used instead of salt pork.
-
Asia – Soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger get stirred in.
There are limitless ways to tweak baked bean sauce to suit different tastes or adapt it to what’s on hand. While the ingredients may vary, the satisfyingly sweet, tangy and savory flavor remains constant.
Make Your Own Signature Baked Beans
Once you understand the core components, it’s easy to whip up a batch of baked beans from scratch. Sauté the aromatics, bloom the spices, stir in the saucy ingredients, add the beans, and simmer until thickened. Add your own twists or secret ingredients.
Top with extra pork, cheese, pineapple, or whatever you love. Serve alongside summertime favorites like burgers, fried chicken, coleslaw and cornbread. Just be prepared for the empty pot, because homemade baked beans never last long!
/GettyImages-168277352-5867c6bd3df78ce2c3cca413.jpg)
k
Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
The following ingredients are used in this awesome recipe.
- Different beans can be used, but I chose the dried Navy bean, which is also called the haricot bean in some places. This is the bean that is used to make Heinz baked beans.
- The Liquid: Water is given as the liquid on the Heinz can. However, I used a combination of chicken broth and water. I also included some Worcestershire sauce and cider vinegar.
- Tomato: I used two kinds of tomato products: ketchup and tomato paste.
- The Spices: I used Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder for the spices.
- The Sweetener: My sweetener of choice was light brown sugar.
- The Magic Ingredient: As the beans were cooking down, they needed something to thicken them up so they could make the famous sauce. I used none other than cornstarch for this.
- Soaking the Beans: The dried beans need to be brought back to life. So, the first thing that had to be done was to let the beans soak in water.
You can soak the beans in two different ways: (1) long-soak in cold water or (2) quick-soak in hot water. After trying both, I like the quick-soak method better because it works just as well and takes less time.
For the quick-soak method, I rinsed the dried beans and put them in a large Dutch oven with about 6 cups of filtered water. I heated the water to boiling and let the beans boil for about 2 minutes. After that, I took the pan off the heat, put a lid on it, and let the beans soak for about an hour.
- How to Cook the Beans: I drained and rinsed the beans after letting them soak for an hour. Now, it was time to cook the beans.
I put the soaked beans back in the Dutch oven and added about 6 cups of filtered water on top of them. I brought the beans to a boil. Then I turned down the heat to medium-low, put the lid on the pan, and cooked the beans for 45 minutes, or until they were soft but still a little firm inside. The actual time will vary depending on the beans.
After 45 minutes. the beans were perfect. They were soft on the outside and slightly firm on the inside. I wanted to be careful not to overcook the beans at this point. The reason was that the beans still needed some cooking in the sauce.
Once the beans were cooked, I drained them and set them aside to make the sauce.
- Making the Sauce: Beans are beans. However, it’s the tomato sauce that defines Heinz Beans.
Making the sauce is super simple. In the same Dutch oven I used to cook the beans, I mixed chicken broth, water, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and pepper. That’s it!.
- Step 3: Add the Cooked Beans to the Sauce: After mixing the sauce ingredients in a bowl, I put the cooked beans in a Dutch oven. I put the Dutch oven over medium heat and mixed everything together.
- When the sauce and beans started to slowly boil, I turned down the heat to medium-low and cooked the beans without cover for about 20 minutes, or until they were perfectly done.
- How to Make the Slurry: I mixed cornstarch and water in a bowl while the beans were cooking in the sauce.
- The beans were cooked in the sauce for 20 minutes. Then I added the cornstarch slurry and put it in the Dutch oven. I stirred the beans constantly until the sauce had thickened.
- Amazing Change: Adding the slurry made the dish look so much better when it was done. The soupy, bland mixture turned into thick, tomato-covered beans that looked exactly like Heinz beans right in front of my eyes!
I let the beans cook for about five more minutes before removing them from the heat.
How I Serve Heinz Beans
Heinz beans are an amazing dish that is quite versatile. For a tasty side dish, all you have to do is heat them up in the microwave or on the stove.
When we eat turkey burgers without the mushroom cream sauce or with British sausage rolls, Heinz beans are a great side dish. For breakfast, they are awesome when served with British sausage. They are the perfect addition to a weeknight meal.
Also, beans on toast with unsalted butter is our go-to simple and comfort food when we want the best of both worlds. This may sound odd to Americans but is delicious. The Heinz beans are also delicious served on crusty french bread.
Sometimes, we do as the British do and have a jacket potato (a. k. a. baked potato) loaded with Heinz beans. This may also sound odd to Americans. However, it’s delicious.
The bottom line is that there is no best way to serve this delicious dish.
This recipe for Heinz Beans is about as close to the real thing as I can imagine. If you’re a fan of this British staple, you should give the recipe a try. Yum!.
I like to use filtered water to minimize any added flavor from unfiltered water. However, it’s fine to use unfiltered water if you so choose.
For a vegetarian recipe, you can either leave out the chicken broth and use vegetable broth instead, or you can use the same amount of water.
As the beans cook, they tend to produce foam on top of the water. You can spoon the foam off, or just leave it. Over time, the foam will disappear.
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat the beans in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Yes, you can use an instant pot to make this recipe.
Yes. I like to can them in 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars. One filled mason jar is approximately equivalent to a store-bought can of Heinz Beans.
If you’re a fan of British food like I am, you should try these delicious recipes:
I first posted this amazing recipe on May 18, 2020. Since then, I’ve made this recipe a number of times. This update contains improved text, photographs and a video. It also includes the same great recipe, with weights added in the recipe card.
I hope you liked this recipe for Copycat Heinz Beans as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. You can also enter your email address in the Subscribe box to get email alerts when new posts are made.
Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!
This is how your Baked Beans are made | Catalyst
FAQ
What is the sauce in canned beans?
Is baked bean sauce the same as spaghetti sauce?
What is the liquid in baked beans?
What is bean sauce made of?