Mom’s Boston Brown Bread

• 1 1/2 cups enriched cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup All Bran cereal
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 cup molasses (dark)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups raisins

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
Add buttermilk and molasses.  Mix.
Divide batter equally into four well-greased one-pound cans* 
and cover each can with aluminum foil. 
Add about an inch of water to a large kettle and bring to a gentle boil.  
Place a rack in the bottom of the kettle.**  
Put the cans in the kettle and cover with a lid.
Steam gently for 2 1/2 hours, adding water as needed.

Stop steaming when the bread has risen to almost fill the can and the center has 
puffed slightly.  If the center remains indented, steam 15 minutes or so more.

Finish cooking the bread by removing the foil covers and placing the cans 
in a warm oven (200-225°) for about half an hour.  Take the cans out of the 
oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before removing the bread from the can.

If you have trouble removing the bread from the can, cut the bottom off 
the can and gently push the bread out onto a cutting board.

This dish is customarily served with Boston Baked Beans.  So you may 
want to time things so the bread is in the oven with the beans for the last 
half hour...serving both hot from the oven.

* Almost any 16-ounce fruit or vegetable cans with labels removed will do.
** It's best to keep the cans above the water level, but not absolutely necessary.