4 cups dry great northern beans

1 pound bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

3 onions, cut into small dice

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup mustard

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup ketchup

1 cup tomato puree

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place beans in a large pot, bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes.

In a large Dutch oven, stir together the corn syrup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, tomato puree, bacon, onion and beans. Bake, uncovered, for 2 hours. Stir in the salt and pepper, cover and bake an additional 2 hours or more, until the beans are tender and have absorbed the liquid. Makes servings, 16 side- or 8 main-dish servings.