My Sister'S Navy Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package navy beans
9 cups water
1 meaty ham bone
1 teaspoon salt
6 -10 whole peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 medium onion

Preparation

Thoroughly wash beans in cold water& discard any stones or shrivelled beans.
Place beans into a large, heavy pot with fresh water; bring to a boil& boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover& let stand for an hour.
Add ham bone, salt, pepper& bay leaves to pot, cover& simmer for 3 hours.
Remove bay leaves & ham bone and allow to cool enough to be able to handle.
In the meantime, use a potato masher to mash the beans slightly, chop the onion& add to the pot.
Cut the meat off the bone& add to the pot, adjust the seasonings& continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.