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Civil War sailor, George
Commodore |
The term "navy bean" comes from the fact that since the Civil War, they were issued regularly to US warships. However, it is suggested the earliest sailors to consume the beans (chick peas) were Spanish sailors as they made their way across the Atlantic. Many believe the "beans" were eaten as a last resort once fresh food ran out.
It is estimated that nearly eighteen thousand men of African descent (and eleven women) served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. At 20 percent of the navy's total enlisted force, black sailors constituted a significant segment of naval manpower and nearly double the proportion of black soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
According to Joseph P. Reidy, during the first ninety days after Fort Sumter, when nearly three hundred black recruits enlisted, fifty-nine (20 percent) were veterans with an average of five years of prior naval service per man. Over succeeding months, the proportion of black men in the service increased rapidly. At the end of 1861, they made up roughly 6 percent of the crews of vessels. By the summer of 1862, the figure had climbed to nearly 15 percent.
He adds, "Not surprisingly, the coastal states contributed the largest numbers of men: New York and Pennsylvania roughly 1,200 each, and Massachusetts and New Jersey more than 400 each. Many of these men had been mariners before the war, and still others had worked on the docks and shipping-related businesses of the seaport cities. Additional recruits with prior maritime experience on the lakes and rivers of the nation's interior also enlisted; these included 420 natives of Kentucky. The largest number of black men from any of the northern states— more than 2,300 in all— hailed from Maryland. The maritime culture of Chesapeake Bay, with its numerous tributaries and the port of Baltimore, offer part of the explanation for the large number of Marylanders in naval service."
Therefore, it's no surpise Black sailors took the practice of eating navy beans them after the war; where it eventually made its way into the recipes and on the tables of African American families
1 pound navy beans (rinsed and drained)
1 quart water
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 quart Swanson Chicken Stock (Gluten Free)
2 large smoked ham hocks or 4 large turkey legs
1 medium chopped carrot
1 medium white chopped onion
2 stalks chopped celery
2 cloves coarsely chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 quart water
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 quart Swanson Chicken Stock (Gluten Free)
2 large smoked ham hocks or 4 large turkey legs
1 medium chopped carrot
1 medium white chopped onion
2 stalks chopped celery
2 cloves coarsely chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with 1 quart of water (about 2 inches) over medium high heat.
When water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit covered for about an hour. After an hour, drain beans and set aside.
Tie herbs in a bundle with cooking twine. In a large stockpot, combine water, chicken stock, beans, herbs, ham hocks, carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to its lowest setting. Allow to soup to simmer about 1½ hours or until beans and meat are completely tender.
Remove from heat and remove hocks or turkey legs and herbs. Cool enough to be able to remove meat from bone. Discard bones, fat skin, and herbs.
Cut hocks into cubes or shred turkey legs and return to soup. Place up to 1½ cups of beans with a small amount of soup into a blender and puree. Stir the puree back into the soup. Heat the soup about 10 more minutes.
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