Baked Beans

Pick over the beans, discarding any stones, and rinse with water. Place in a bowl, add water to cover by 2 inches and let soak overnight. Drain.

Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the drained beans and onion and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer until very tender, 1-1 1/2 hours. Drain well and set the beans aside.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the molasses, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider, whiskey, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes to blend the flavors.

In a 1 1/2-qt baking dish, combine the beans and the sauce and mix well. Add a little more water if the mixture looks dry. Stir in the ham. Cover and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and raise the heat to 400 degrees. Continue baking until the liquid is almost gone, 45-60 minutes.

Serve immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. To reheat, bring the chilled beans to room temperature, then place in a 375 degrees oven until heated through, about 25 minutes.