1 lb. dry northern beans
Meaty ham bone (about 2 lbs. of ham left on it)
1/2 tsp. salt
6 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 onions

Cook a ham for dinner one night and save the ham bone. Cover beans with 2 quarts of cold water and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Let stand one hour. Do not drain. Add ham bone and salt, peppercorns and bay leaves (tie spices in bag if you wish). Cover and boil gently until beans are done, 3-3 1/2 hours. During the last minutes of cooking, slice onions on top. Makes a large pot of soup.