This traditional Guernsey Bean Jar recipe is a frugal meal that uses butchers offcuts and dried beans to create a deep, rich bean stew.
This recipe was last updated in 2022.
What is Guernsey Bean Jar?
I was first introduced to the Guernsey Bean Jar by ways of a postcard.
I was born in Guernsey, and we moved to Cornwall (on the South West tip of England) in the late 70’s. In fact we still live on the little farm my parents bought on the South Cornish coast today.
After my Dad passed away, when mum was ready, she went back to the island to reconnect with old friends and no doubt old memories too.
It was on this trip that she found this postcard. And knowing of my love of old recipes, sent it home.
I was so intrigued that I set to researching, and making this bean jar for myself.
A traditional Guernsey Bean Jar is a very old fashioned and frugal recipe. It uses very basic, cheap ingredients and is slowly cooked to make a rich, tasty stew.
A frugal housewife’s recipe
Beans have long been a cheap staple in a thrifty kitchen. The only down side being that they can take a long time to cook.
So, tradition has it that villagers on the little island of Guernsey would take their ‘bean jars’ to the local baker after his loaves were finished for the day.
Several jars would be placed into the still warm oven and would be left there overnight to very slowly and gently cook.
The following morning the soupy pots would be collected and enjoyed.
How to make a Guernsey Bean Jar in the slow cooker
Whilst I don’t own a traditional bean ‘jar’ and don’t have access to the free heat from a bakers oven. I decided to replicate this recipe in a slow cooker.
Editors note: Since first sharing this recipe back in 2015, new advice suggests that before cooking dried beans in a slow cooker or crockpot, they should be boiled for 10 minutes.
This neutralises any phytohaemagglutinin in the beans that can make you unwell.
This compound is mostly found in red kidney beans, but as there are some levels in most dried beans it’s advice I urge you to follow.
The following recipe has been updated with this new information.
1/ presoak your beans
This recipe starts the night before you want to make the bean stew.
Pour your beans into a large bowl or saucepan and cover with cold, fresh water.
Leave to soak for 8 hours.
I moved my beans into a bigger bowl for the soaking process. But I wanted to show you this image to see just how much they swell up during the soak time!
2/ preboil your beans
As mentioned above this is necessary to neutralise a compound found in beans that can make people poorly.
Simply drain them, add to a large saucepan, and cover with fresh cold water.
Bring to a boil and continue to boil for a full 10 minutes.
Drain once again and then add your beans to the slow cooker.
3/ load the slow cooker
Next, simply add all the other ingredients.
Along with the ingredients listed on the postcard above, I also like to add a potato.
This will break down over the cooking time and help create a thicker sauce or gravy.
Not sure this is entirely authentic, but I do prefer my bean jar with it added!
Should I add salt to the water beans are cooked in?
Also don’t worry overly about adding the salt at the beginning of the cooking time.
There is much speculation if it prolongs cooking time and/or make the beans hard.
But in my experience of cooking this dish several times, the cooking time is plenty long enough to turn those hard pebbles of beans into soft, delicious and creamy cooked beans.
In the recipe down below I am using a beef stock cube and water rather than the more traditional beef stock. As stock cubes contain lots of salt, I’m not adding any extra at this stage. Once the stew is cooked I recommend tasting it and adding salt then if you feel it is needed.
Switch the slow cooker on, and choose your setting.
* High: your bean jar will be ready in 3-4 hours
* Low: your bean jar will be ready in 6-8 hours
I chose the quicker version today as I wanted to eat this for dinner.
4/ remove the pigs trotter and/or beef shin
Once cooked, use a pair of kitchen tongs to remove the bones from the slow cooker.
You can dispose of them straight away, or you remove any scraps of meat first.
Here’s how…
Removing the meat from the pigs trotter
Slice open the skin of the trotter. Inside will be a lot of bones, tendons and gelatine.
Dependant on the breed and age of the pig will determine whether there are any scraps of meat in there too. If there are, you can remove them and add back to the pot.
Some people enjoy lots, or a little of the gelatinous gel. All I will say is that it’s extremely nutritious, being a very high source of protein and many other nutrients [source].
And because you won’t see much of the gelatine in your bean stew, I would recommend scraping at least a little of it back into the cooking pot. Chop any large lumps up into smaller pieces if you prefer!
Most people I know (including all my family members sadly) are totally grossed out by the thought of eating pigs feet. So you may wish to keep this all a secret until after they’ve eaten, and enjoyed, the bean stew!
Removing the meat from the beef shin
This is much easier than the trotter. Simply scrape any little scraps of meat from the bones, adding it back into the stew pot. I like to use a fork for this job as it scratches the meat off well.
If there is any marrow inside the beef bone you have, push it out with the handle of your fork.
You can chop it up if it’s one big lump, and add it back into the stew pot.
Again, marrow is highly nutritious and it’s definitely recommended not to waste it.
5/ season your Guernsey bean jar
At this point your bean soup should be cooked and ready to enjoy.
Before serving I like to taste the broth and season again if I feel it’s a little flat.
Traditionally salt and pepper would be the only universal flavourings added to the pot. But I’m sure that as seasons changed on the little island of Guernsey, cooks would add in sprigs of different herbs now and again.
With this in mind I added a small bunch of fresh parsley for colour as much as flavour.
6/ serve!
And there we have it!
A delicious bowl of a deeply nourishing Guernsey bean jar stew that is guaranteed to make your soul smile :)
I love to serve it with a slice of buttered crusty bread. Yum.
Where can you buy pigs trotters?
Unless you rear and butcher your own piggies, you’re going to need to find a local butcher to acquire some trotters.
Most butchers will be delighted to give you a couple of pigs feet to pop in the freezer, as they usually go to waste.
On the occasions a butcher has charged me for the trotters, the most most I’ve ever paid was £1 for 4.
They come pretty clean, although I always give them a good scrub under cold running water before cooking with them.
When cooked slowly, pigs trotters cook down releasing a rich, thick gravy.
They create a silky texture with a gentle porky flavour.
Can you freeze pigs feet?
It’s also handy, when scoring a few trotters, to know that they can be frozen.
Simply clean the trotters well, dry, then place into a freezer bag or Tupperware tub.
They will last in the freezer happily for months.
Every time you plan to make a slow cooked stew, casserole or even a curry you can add one to the cooking pot.
You won’t even need to defrost them first!
If you can’t find pigs feet, or you don’t eat pork, the recipe stated you can swap them out for beef shin.
And as I was going to the butchers today to restock my freezer with pigs trotters, I asked if he had any beef bones I could also have.
Happily I came away with a few lovely pieces of marrow bone. So I added one to the pot too!
And finally, if you’d more ideas of how to use nutritious pigs trotters in your kitchen, please do check out my traditional pork pie recipe! A British pork pie has a water crust pastry shell and is filled filled with pork that is suspended in a delicious savoury jelly made from pigs feet!
It’s s great recipe although you’ll need to dedicate a good few hours to making it :)
Jane x
- 200 g haricot beans - dried
- 200 g butter beans - dried
- 1 large onion - chopped
- 2 carrots - diced
- 1 potato - optional, finely diced
- 1 pigs trotter - or shin of beef
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre water
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place the beans into a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. The beans will swell whilst soaking so make sure there’s enough water to keep them covered.
Leave to soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
If any skins slide off the beans during soaking you can remove them.
Drain the water from the beans, then place them into a large saucepan.
Cover with fresh, cold water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat a little, until the water is just boiling and cook them for 10 minutes.
Drain the water form the pan and tip the semi cooked beans into the slow cooker.
Place all the other ingredients into the slow cooker along with the beans.
Ensure the water covers the ingredients, and if not add a little more.
Switch the slow cooker on and choose which setting you prefer:
* high - cook for 6-8 hours
* low - cook for 3-4 hours
At the end of the cooking time the beans should be soft, the bones will have rendered out their fat and gelatine and the potato should have disintegrated.
Switch off the slow cooker and remove the trotter and/or shin of beef with a pair of kitchen tongs.
Discard both, or remove any meat or marrow as discussed in the article above.
Return any scraps of meat from the trotter back to the slow cooker bowl and stir.
Taste the broth and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Dish up and scatter with a little chopped fresh parsley (optional).
If you’d like it to stretch further, serve with bread and butter on the side.
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Naughty naught Sarchets. Lovely pics and I am all for trotters in stews. We use them in Sierra Leone for the same things.
Jane Sarchet says
I prefer to think of us as more colourful than naughty Bintu :)
Janie x
London Unattached Lifestyle and Travel says
Why is it called a bean jar though? can you preserve it?
Jane Sarchet says
Apparently, in days gone by families would make up their ‘bean jar’ and take it to the local bakery where their jars would be cooked in the residual heat of the bread oven. Community food huh? :)
Janie x
Emma says
What a fab story – I love food with a deep history behind it!
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Emma, me too!
Janie x
Tina Anand says
What a beautiful story. Hope your mum enjoyed her trip back home to Guernsey. Have never heard of a bean jar before but it sounds delicious. I’ve never cooked with pigs trotters though. I think I’ll have to taste yours, I’m sure it will convince me to cook with them.
Jane Sarchet says
They’re not all that scary Tina, just think of them as a meaty, grain free thickener :)
Janie x
Nick @ Bakingbeardy says
Looks amazing! Actually going to Jersey next month and defo going to try to get some Jersey cookery info!
Jane Sarchet says
Fantastic! I hope you have a great time (and I’m only a little bit jealous!)
Janie x
Janice Pattie (@FarmersgirlCook) says
Oh lovely, my friend Sarah make this and entered it for The Slow Cooker Challenge. It’s on my ‘to make’ list.
Jane Sarchet says
Oh how funny! And there’s me having never heard of it before :)
Janie x
Sally - My Custard Pie says
A visit to Guernsey as a child was the farthest ‘abroad’ I’d ever been until I went under my own steam. The memories of that visit are very special – it seemed like a magical place. Just returned from Georgia where beans dishes baked in jars are very traditional too – didn’t have one with a pigs trotter but the Georgians would approve. They love their pork.
Jane Sarchet says
Beautiful little island isn’t it Sally, I do fancy a trip back there soon. I bet Geogia was a lot of fun, it’s great finding new cuisines from travels!
Janie x
Choclette says
Ha, that explains a lot ;-) I remember my mother making lots of delicious pigs trotter stews back in the day. Like the idea of all this bean jars heading off to the bakery.
Jane Sarchet says
They’re economical and so nutritious, and they’re great for folk with grain allergies as they thicken the meal without having to add any other starch.
Janie x
Nayna Kanabar (@citrusspiceuk) says
I will try and make a veggie version of this I love bean stew.
Jane Sarchet says
Hope you enjoy it Nayna, the slow cooker is the best way of cooking beans :
Janie x
Jenny says
Hi Jane, I was wondering what pig trotters are? The recipe sounds delicious. I have Guernsey heritage.. My great grandfather immigrated from there to the US in late 19th century. His last name was Harrison. I hope to visit Guernsey someday. It’s so beautiful and rich with history.
Jane Sarchet says
Pigs trotters are pigs feet Jenny :) I hope you make the trip ‘back home’ it really is a stunning place.
Janie x
Chris says
Hi Jane,
It was nice to read your article, i moved over from Guernsey last year, now living in Devon. Bean Jar is something we had regularly when we were growing up, it’s one of those things that gets passed down the generations, my brothers and sisters now regularly make it for their children.
There is actually slight differences in the ingrediants used in Bean Jar depending on which Parish you come from, I couldn’t tell you what they are but I remember some of my older family members saying about the recipe in the north of the island was different than the south.
My brother actually has a really old Guernsey cook book with the traditional receipes for other Guernsey dishes like Guernsey Gache, Ormer Casserole… next time he visits i’ll get him to bring it over.
Jane Sarchet says
Hi Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to comment :)
Really interesting, and how funny that there were regional variations on such a small island!!!
I’d love to get a copy of your brothers book if that would be possible (maybe photos of the pages?) – I have a thing for old cookbooks yet don’t have any other traditional Guernsey recipes :)
What part of Devon have you moved to? I do you’re warm and dry and above any floodwater.
Janie x
Chris says
Hi Jane,
Sorry about the delay in replying. No problem ref cookbook, my brother is over in July so i’ll get him to bring it with him. We’re up just outside Barnstaple so I think we should be ok with the flooding… hopefully!
I’m enjoying browsing your website at the moment, you’ve done well, i’m trying to build up my own site at the moment so I know how much work it takes, take a look if you get a spare minute, feedback is always welcome… http://www.petshop2go.co.uk
OK, that’s it for now, look after yourself and i’ll keep you posted on the cookbook.
Chris. x
Jane Sarchet says
The site looks great Chris, such a lot of stock! Look forward to seeing copies of the book, thank you!
Janie x
Ann Robert says
My father had a farm in petronnerie road we used to rent sarchets stable in the grand bluest there was an old house with a fig tree by it
Jane Sarchet says
How interesting Ann, what year would that have been?
Jane x
Liv says
Small world. I googled Easy Carrot & Sultana muffins as my 11yr old son wanted to make some. Scrolled down the page a bit and clicked on the Hedgecombers Recipe as liked the look of them. Never seen this site before.
I was very pleased to see they could easily be converted to Dairy Free as i’ve recently been diagnosed Lactose Intolerant, so I clicked on Other Dairy Free Recipes and saw the one for Bean Jar.
Why am I telling you this you?
Well, I live In Guernsey, up the road from Grand Bouet and a 2 minute walk from Pitronnerie Road.
Jane Sarchet says
Haha, it really IS a small world Liv! I have such lovely memories of the island, I really must come back and visit soon :)
Janie x
Heather says
Great you have made a Bean Jar. I was born in Guernsey but have lived in Australia for many years. I have never forgotten my beautiful Island home. Will be making this for a Channel Island Reunion to celebrate Liberation Day ask your Mum about that! You must try Guernsey Gauche next.
Jane Sarchet says
What a lovely message Heather! When did you last visit the island?
Janie x
PS Guernsey Gauche – I’m on it! Thank you :)
June Le Gallez says
Hi Jane we live in Guernsey have done all our lives make beanjar lots in the winter great comfort food our son is over at the moment from Margaret River Australia he is 25 and is a head chef out there has been there for over 2 years and often puts a bean jar in the ovens at work to cook to share with the neighbors
Jane Sarchet says
Hi June, how lovely to hear from you!
I love that your son has taken the bean jar to Oz, that’s cool! Does your recipe look very different to this one?
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, it’s made my day
Jane x
Debbie wilson says
I I was born a sarchett too,
Family was from guernsey,
Anne H says
Hi I’m from Alderney living in Western Australia. Having friends over for dinner and told them about a traditional recipe called Bean Jar. My Mum used to cook. We used to know it as Crock. Also. They are really looking forward to trying it
Jane Sarchet says
Hey Anne, that’s awesome! Hope they enjoy it too :)
Sylvia fleet nee carre says
Looking at the picture of beanjar made my mouth water havnt made it for a while so will go shopping for beans , not keen on the pigs trotter version because of all the little bones but shin beef is good , im now living in nz been back to the island many times , but regretfully now too old to do long haul travel , love reading everything on fb about guernsey
Jane Sarchet says
Hi Sylvia, thank you for taking the time to comment :) Yes, that sure is a long flight for you. Best enjoy the island from afar!
What part of NZ are you in? It was my absolute favourite place when backpacking in my younger days.
Sgt says
Great recipe, I made it and it reminded me of central European stews.
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Sgt, so glad you enjoyed it!
Janie x