What is July known for in the U.S.? Well, it’s mainly known as the month during which American Independence is celebrated, but it’s also a month when many people gather for family picnics and barbecues. The common denominator among all these different types of celebrations is baked beans — the perfect side dish for BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers, and a whole lot of other dishes.

With so many people serving baked beans during these gatherings, it’s no wonder that July was designated National Baked Bean Month. This is the perfect month for people to grab a can of baked beans and turn them into something remarkable that friends and family members will talk about all summer long.

The History of National Baked Bean Month

Baked beans were originally used in Native American cuisine, utilizing beans that would have been native to the Americas. When English colonists arrived, they adopted these dishes and altered them to suit their own tastes.

This resulted in baked bean recipes spreading across North America. Originally, Native Americans used maple syrup to sweeten their baked beans, but English colonists were more likely to use brown sugar to sweeten their bean dishes.

Molasses became increasingly popular for sweetening baked beans during the 18th century, as epitomized by Boston Baked Beans — a dish made with salt pork and molasses.

This dish was so popular in Boston that the city became known as “Beantown.” Nowadays, baked beans are traditionally made with corn syrup, brown sugar, or sugar and are available canned across the U.S.

In 1981, the popularity of baked beans began to surge, and this is when the Michigan Bean Commission founded National Baked Bean Month. This was a way to emphasize the health benefits of eating beans, as well as to circulate some recipes for baked beans that could be used at picnics or barbecues during the month of July.

Observing National Baked Bean Month

Since the point of observing National Baked Bean Month is to enjoy more baked beans, it might take a little bit of creativity to serve baked beans on several days during this month without making the same dish repeatedly.

So we decided to list some ideas. Besides just using baked beans as a side dish for barbecues, people can also make beans and franks with them, use them to make chili, use them to make a type of ranchero nachos, or turn them into ham and bean stew.

No matter how a person chooses to use them, they can use the hashtag #NationalBakedBeanMonth to share their favorite baked bean recipes with the world.