Old Fashioned Bean And Ham Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs dried great northern beans, rinsed, drained & picked over
4 ham hocks, 2 fresh and 2 smoked or 4 ham bone
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves, garlic minced
3 potatoes, pared and cubed
3 carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 quarts water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
parsley
salt

Preparation

Put rinsed beans in pan and cover up to 2 inches past beans in large pot -- let sit overnight.
Drain, put beans back in pot, add water and the rest of ingredients.
Bring to boil, turn to simmer and cover.
Simmer for at least 3 hours or until beans are soft.
Take out bones and dice up any meat on bones and put back into pot -- You can add more ham if you want.
Discard fat and bones.
Season to taste with pepper and salt and parsley.