Take Canned Baked Beans From Basic To Flavorful With This Fresh Fruit

Check out the food spread at a barbecue or cookout and there's a good chance you'll see baked beans. While they're a summertime mainstay, they're versatile and could be a welcome side at meals year-round. You could even prepare different regional styles of baked beans, but often enough people skip making the dish themselves and simply warm it up from a can. However, that doesn't mean it has to be basic or ho-hum. There are many tips to elevate canned baked beans. One of the more unexpected ideas is to give them a fruit glow-up by adding apples.

Fresh apples bring complementary flavor and texture to the baked beans. Balance and brighten the saucy legumes' savory and sweet flavor by using a tart or sweet-tart variety of the fruit. You should also pick a variety that won't break down too much when cooked, so it doesn't get mushy. Types that meet both criteria include Granny Smith and Braeburn apples on the most tart end, as well as Honeycrisp and Pink Lady.

Dice approximately one peeled and cored apple for every two 16-ounce cans of baked beans (adjust to more or less if you prefer). One option is to just mix the pieces in with any other additional ingredients. Then bake the blended dish in the oven or simmer on the stove until the apples have softened. However, you can also take the extra step of sauteing them for a few minutes first to lightly cook the outside of the cubed fruit.

Canned baked beans like the ones in our ranking of popular brands come in a standard version that's sometimes called "original." You can also find added flavors like brown sugar, hickory, and maple. If you're using one that has a sweet component, stick with one of the most tart apples so the dish isn't too cloying.

You could also include your own extra ingredients and seasonings instead. Bacon and crumbled sausage are two meaty options, which should be cooked before adding them to the beans. When using either, sauteing the diced fruit in their rendered fat will give it extra flavor. For an extra kick, consider possibilities like barbecue sauce, onions, jalapeños, and hot sauce. You could also add more apple taste with choices such as cider, or a little tangy apple cider vinegar. Folks who want a boozy element can try tablespoon or two of apple brandy or whiskey (or regular bourbon) mixed in straight or used to deglaze the pan if you sauteed any components.

Some people turn to another canned product for a different take on the flavor combo, blending the baked beans with apple pie filling. Since its fruit is usually sliced, you can cut it in smaller pieces and then combine it with everything else before cooking. Alternatively, you could recreate the taste with fresh apples by including the pie's classic warm spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. This also allows you to control the sugar, as the store-bought filling may be sweeter than you want.