Soak the beans in water - overnight is best, but they should soak for at least 2-3 hours.
Drain water from beans and rinse
Add the beans to a pan along with a tablespoon of salt and cover with water
Bring beans to a boil and simmer until beans are just tender
Drain the beans and reserve the liquid
Preheat oven to 250º F
Place an oven safe pot on the stove (such as a cast iron dutch oven). Set the heat to high, add bacon, and allow fats to release.
Add onions and chopped cayenne or chili pepper, stirring occasionally
Let cook until onions are translucent, then add the drained beans to the pot and stir
Add tomatoes, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to low-medium. Allow tomatoes to cook.
After the tomatoes have cooked a bit, add all spices except the remaining salt.
Add Mill Gap Farms maple syrup, along with some of the reserved water until beans are covered.
Close the lid and bring to a boil, then stir in the remaining salt.
Remove from stove and place in oven, baking for 4-6 hours or until the beans have reached desired consistency. Note: Check beans periodically in the oven to ensure they have not dried out. If they have dried out, continue to add the reserved water as needed.
