Ham and Navy Beans

Ham and Navy Beans

2 pound bag dry navy beans soaked overnight
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
4 stalks celery chopped fine
4 garlic cloves micro-minced
1 container of low or no sodium vegetable stock
4-6 cups of water added a bit at a time till beans are soft
1 pound of cooked smoked ham cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 bay leaves (removed when beans are cooked through)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste, ham can sometimes be salty so be wary

After three days the beans were not soft, read later about that. Soak navy beans (or great northern beans) overnight in large stock pot with at least 3 inches of water above the beans. Drain beans in the morning and rinse twice with clean water, drain, then set them aside. In the large stock pot, sauté chopped onion in olive oil till soft, then add chopped celery and cook for 5 more minutes. Next add minced garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add drained beans, ham pieces, stock and enough water to cover beans. Add spices and seasonings. Bring mixture to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 6 to 8 hours till beans are soft. Don't add salt till you taste the beans after they've cooked for several hours. Taste the broth to see how salty it is.
 
I had some left over honey brown sugar glaze from when I cooked the ham the other day so I added that to the beans. My mom used to cook these beans in the oven with a ham bone, but I prefer to cook them on top of the stove with the smoked ham pieces. You can cut this recipe down by using 1 pound of navy bean instead of 2 pounds, use a whole onion, 2 stalks of celery, less water and half the spices. This is a hearty stick to your ribs meal and I'll be freezing some of the beans for meals in the future.

After three days the beans were not soft and I couldn't figure it out. I had soaked them beforehand. Apparently I was reading if you have chlorinated water they may take twice as long to soften, if ever. That can't be good. It's the first time we've had city water. To counteract that you may add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda at the end to hot but not boiling beans and they will soften. Don't add too much otherwise they will become mushy. I guess we need to start getting large jugs of spring water. This city water can't be good for us with all that chlorine not to mention the fluoride in there too. Another expense to stay healthy in todays world: buying bottled water. Any way enjoy the beans, they were finally delicious.