By Kevin Williams
Many people think the Shakers died out a generation or so ago, but four Shakers still live quietly in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Â I visited the Shaker settlement a couple of weeks ago and came away with a new understand of their religion and beliefs, which I'll share a bit with you in the coming days.
The Shakers were at the forefront of American innovation at their height. Â Shaker furniture is known world-wide for its exquisite craftsmanship and durability. Â Shakers also invented the modern day flat broom, circular saw and clothespin. Â In addition their songs and cooking made their way into American pop culture.
This is the six-story dwelling house (a bell-tower sits atop) which serves as home for the remaining Shakers.
I've actually had an old Shaker cookbook  (simply called The Shaker Cook Book by Carolyn Piercy) sitting on a shelf in my office.  It dates from sometime in the mid-1950s.  Vegetarian recipes were quite common among early Shakers, who were by definition a pacifist church.  This is a recipe for Shaker-style baked beans...I'll share more Shaker recipes in the days ahead and compare and contrast it to Amish cooking.
- 4 cups navy beans
- 2 1 /2 cups hot water
- 1 onion
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 /2 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 /2 cup tomato catsup
- Soak the beans overnight.
- Drain and cook in fresh water until tender.
- Peel onion and place in bottom of well-buttered bean pot.
- Drain beans and save liquid.
- Pour beans into bean pot.
- Add molasses,butter, salt, dry mustard, and catsup to bean liquid and pour over beans.
- Cover pot and cook in very slow oven for 3 hours.
- Add more liquid whenever necessary.
- Remove cover for last half hour and brown well. Serves 10-12.
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Carla
What a beautiful building! I can't wait to hear more about this settlement.
brenda
was the original plan to proselytize to prevent the state they are now in ? being chaste, otherwise, guaranteed extinction.
recipe looks very familiar to my mother's. glad to see one that does not include pintos for a change.
Bev
I am also happy to see a recipe without pinto beans. Navy beans are my favorite & I love Navy Bean Soup.