DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am told that A1 (Kennebec Bean Co.) in North Vassalboro is now out of business. I loved the recipes from the back of their bags, but assumed they would always be available so I didn’t save them. Do any of your readers have recipes saved from these bags that they can share with Sun Spots? I would especially like to find the recipes from the 1-pound bean bag. Did Kennebec Bean ever produce a recipe book or booklet? Here’s the one recipe I still have from the 1-pound bag of barley. I thought your readers might like to have it.

¾ cup pearled barley

5 cups water

3 slices bacon cut in pieces

2 small onions diced

1 small green pepper chopped

2 cups tomatoes

dash of salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

Wash barley. Add water and boil about 1 hour or until done. Drain. Brow bacon, add onion, pepper and seasoning. When onions are tender, add tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Add to drained barley and cook until well blended, or about 15 minutes. Bon appetite. — Anne R., North Yarmouth

ANSWER: Sun Spots didn’t find anything definitive on the Internet about the company closing, but there were several blog postings to that effect, and the listed phone number no longer works. 

Anne didn’t specify what kinds of beans in the 1-pound bag for which she wanted the recipe. Perhaps this recipe for baked beans, found at www.harmanscheese.com/recipes4.html (Harman’s Cheese & Country Store in Sugar Hill, N.H.), will serve.

Maine baked beans (recipe from Kennebec Bean Co.)

2 pounds soldier beans

½ pound salt pork

¼ cup sugar

½ to ?

cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

dash of salt

1 medium onion, optional

Pick over the beans and soak them overnight in cold water.
In the morning, parboil the beans until the skins crack when blown upon. If an onion is used, cut in quarters and put in the bottom of the bean pot. Add the parboiled beans. (Some folks drain the beans, and others use the bean water.
Cut through the rind of the salt pork to a depth of ½ inch, and place the pork on top of the beans. Mix the sugar, molasses, mustard, pepper and salt with 1 pint of boiling water. Pour this over the beans and pork. If necessary, add more boiling water to cover. Bake at 300 degrees for six hours or more, adding more boiling water as the beans cook. Serve with steamed brown bread or hot Johnny Cake.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Recently. while doing family genealogy, I came
across an article in the Sept. 7, 1914, Lewiston Journal about a trophy
given to the top team in the Twin City league. My grandfather, Michael
Donovan, played for the Crescents, who won it in 1911. It was donated
by Rudolph Hamel of Hamel’s jewelry store of Lewiston. Can you find out
if this trophy is still around? Hamel’s was still in business in the
1990s. — Gary Rich, Bangor

ANSWER: Sun Spots didn’t find anything. Considering the circumstances it seems likely it is no
longer awarded, but perhaps readers will have more to offer?

DEAR SUN SPOTS: We have the world reknowned Air Force Liberty Jazz Band, a 20-piece brass band, coming to Rumford on Nov. 4 for a free public concert in the town hall auditorium. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. It will last approximately two hours. This will be the first of what we hope will be many performances of all kinds. Thank you. — Jim Rinaldo, Rumford 

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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