#43 - Beansoup

(by Grandmother Elizabeth McNevich)

3-5 pound ham (butt end)
1 medium onion
6-7 peeled and cubed red potatoes
2 - 40 oz. cans pork and beans (Weis brand Big Top if available)
1 tsp pepper

Cook ham in a large pot. Fill pot halfway with water. Cook on medium heat until done--takes about 3 hours. Test for doneness with a fork.

Let ham cool and keep the juice that ham cooked in. Let juice cool overnight and then remove all of the fat that floated to the top of the juice. Cut the fat off of the ham and remove the bones, cut the ham into bite sized pieces.

Use a five quart dutch oven. Add 1/2 cup of the ham broth. Add one medium onion (chopped). Cook until onion browns and juice has been cooked up by the onion. Add the rest of the ham broth. Peel and cube the potatoes and add. If the ham broth does not cover potatoes add water until potatoes are covered. Add one tsp. pepper. Cook until the potatoes are almost done (about 20 minutes).

Open the cans of pork and beans and remove the juice that is on top. Add the pork and beans into the soup. Cook until the beans are hot (10 minutes) and then add the cubed ham pieces. Stir and cook until hot.