Slow Cooker Guernsey Bean Jar

Slow Cooker Guernsey Bean Jar is a traditonal Guernsey recipe. Budget friendly cuts of pork or beef are slow cooked with vegetables and beans and transformed into a hearty, creamy stew. Simmered to perfection, it’s the perfect pork and bean stew for a cold winter’s day.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Guernsey

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 6 30

Soaking time - not included in total time: 8

Total Time: 6 45

Servings:

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Sarah James

Equipment

6 to 8 person slow cooker – I used my 6.5 litre ( 7 quart ) Crock Pot.

Ingredients

225 g dried butter beans
225 g dried haricot beans
2 large onions peeled and diced
4 carrots peeled and diced
500 g ham hock or shin of beef
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 litre water plus extra for cooking and rinsing beans

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Prepare the beans

Soak beans for at least 8 hours – preferably overnight. Make sure you cover the beans by at least 5 cm / 2 inches of water to allow for the beans swelling up.
Discard the water, rinse and boil beans in fresh water for 10 minutes.
Drain the beans and discard the cooking water.

Make your Bean Jar

Spray inside the slow cooker pot with cooking spray or lightly grease.
Transfer the drained part cooked beans to the slow cooker and add the carrots, onions, herbs and pepper.
Add approx 1 litre of boiling water or more to cover the vegetables and beans.
Add meat and push in amongst the beans and veg.
Replace lid and cook on high for 1 hour – DO NOT OMIT THIS. Check the water level and top up if necessary.
Turn slow cooker to low and cook for a minimum of 8 hours or keep on high for a further 5 hours. Bean Jar can be cooked for up to 24 hours, I usually cook mine for 16 hours.
Shred the meat and return to the Bean Jar, stir and add salt and extra pepper to taste.
Optional, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread and Guernsey butter.

Notes

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Recipe is easily doubled.
Can be Oven Cooked - follow to step ?? using a cast iron casserole or Dutch Oven. Cook at 170℃ / 150℃ fan / 300℉ / Gas Mark 2 for 5 to 6 hours.
IMPORTANT - to use dried beans in a slow cooker they must be properly soaked and cooked. Most beans contain varying amounts of a toxin known as kidney bean lectin, red kidney beans having the most. Throwing away the soaking and rinsing water gets rid of leached toxins and boiling the beans for at least 10 minutes with fresh water makes them safe to be added to the slow cooker where they need to be cooked on high setting for the first hour.
It’s better to add salt near the end of the cooking time, as salt tends to toughen the bean skins.
Your Slow Cooker Bean Jar will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Completely cooled leftover bean jar can be frozen in airtight food safe containers for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop over a medium to low heat for about 20 minutes. Check it's piping hot before serving.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.