Baked Beans

Season 2Episode 360 minAug. 9, 2016
Baked Beans

Today in the UK we get through more than two million cans of baked beans every day, with the average UK household consuming 10 tins of canned food a week. Gregg Wallace helps to unload 27 tonnes of dried haricot beans from North America and follows them on a one and a half mile journey through the Heinz factory in Wigan - the largest baked bean factory in the world - making more than three million cans of beans every 24 hours.

He'll discover how a laser scrutinizes every single bean; how the spice recipe for the sauce is a classified secret known only by two people; and, most surprisingly, how the beans are not baked at all!

Meanwhile Cherry Healey follows the journey of her discarded baked bean can through a recycling centre and onto the largest steelworks in the UK, where she watches a dramatic, fiery process that produces 320 tonnes of molten steel - enough to make eight million cans.

She also takes a can that is 14 months after its ‘Best Before' date to a lab at the University of Coventry and is amazed when tests reveal it has the same Vitamin C levels compared to fresh tomatoes. The lab also proves that a 45 year-old tin of Skippers is still fit to eat.

And historian Ruth Goodman looks at how tinned food was invented to improve the nutrition of sailors to prevent them developing scurvy on their long voyages at sea. She'll also relate how Henry Heinz first marketed baked beans in the UK in the early 1900s - making them a family favourite.

Baked Beans has aired on Aug. 9, 2016 at 20:00
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
NCIS
Running

NCIS

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities. Rounding out the team are Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective whose instincts in the field are unparalleled and whose quick wit and humorous take on life make him a team favorite; the youthful and energetic forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose sharp mind matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes; Caitlin Todd, an ex-Secret Service Agent; and Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field; Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Grantchester
Running

Grantchester

Eavesdropping on the life of Sidney Chambers, a charismatic, charming, crime-fighting clergyman, and his partner in crime Police Inspector Geordie Keating, became a highlight for the audience who revelled in their on screen partnership. Geordie's plain-speaking, down to earth approach to policing complemented Sidney's more gentle technique of coaxing information from witnesses and suspects. Their unlikely pairing became a true friendship as each offered a different insight into the crimes they unravelled.

The Repair Shop
Running

The Repair Shop

The Repair Shop is a workshop of dreams, where broken or damaged cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life.

Furniture restorers, horologists, metal workers, ceramicists, upholsterers and all manner of skilled craftsmen and women have been brought together to work in one extraordinary space, restoring much-loved possessions to their former glory.

Many of these items have incredible stories behind them and a unique place in history: from an accordion played in the Blitz by a woman who is now in her 90s, to a beautifully crafted clock made by a father who was completely blind; a Pinball machine that is currently being used as a kitchen counter, and a Davenport desk with its trademark fake drawers which fooled burglars - and their crowbar.

The Repair Shop is an antidote to our throwaway culture and shines a light on the wonderful treasures to be found in homes across the country.

School Spirits
Running

School Spirits

When Maddie finds herself trapped in afterlife limbo at her high school, she decides to investigate her own mysterious disappearance.

Cobra Kai
Running

Cobra Kai

Thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny Lawrence's life has taken a rocky turn as he tries to forget a past that constantly haunts him. He seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. But the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry of yesteryear is reignited when their lives become intertwined with the next generation of "karate kids".