BARBECUED LIMA BEANS

Recipe By Freezing Combination Main Dishes (Robinson & Fulton, 1973)
Serves 24

2 pounds dry lima beans -- small
3 quarts boiling water
8 ounces salt pork -- finely diced
1/4 cup instant minced onion
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans tomato soup, condensed -- (10 1/2-oz each)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 1/3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups bean cooking liquid

Line four 8x8-inch baking pans with heat-resistant freezer wrap. Allow enough extra wrap to fold over top. Use one pan for each six servings or one-fourth of the recipe. Do not line pans for food to be served without freezing.

Add beans to boiling water; return to boiling. Boil beans 2 minutes; then soak beans 1 hour (or overnight, if preferred).

Cook beans slowly until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain; save 2 cups cooking liquid. Brown salt pork with onion. Mix remaining ingredients with salt pork mixture. Add beans; stir gently. Pour one-fourth of mixture into each baking pan. Spread mixture to avoid air pockets.

TO SERVE WITHOUT FREEZING:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 30 minutes.

TO FREEZE:
Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. Complete wrapping by pulling paper up over top of food. Put edges of wrap together and fold several times so paper lies directly on top of food. Fold ends of freezer wrap over the top and seal with freezer tape.

Label with name of food, date of freezing, and last date the food should be used for best eating quality (about 6 months). Freeze immediately for 10 to 12 hours before removing packages from the pans.

TO HEAT FROZEN FOOD:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove freezer wrap. Place food in baking pan. Bake 1 hour or until center is hot.