Before and after

Yesterday morning I chucked all the ingredients for a pot of Mima Baked Beans (which of course aren't baked at all). It is a delightfully colourful and interesting combination of Muriel's Magic beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, and treacle.

It boiled and bubbled away for several hours and this morning I ladled the now cooled final product (see the extra) into various containers; some for a couple of lunches and the rest to put into the freezer. 

Sadly it loses all its visual interest in the cooking and becomes something which can best be described as gloop. However the cooking develops the flavours into something deeply comforting and satisfying. Swings and roundabouts...