1 pound black beans

1 pound red kidney beans

1 pound pinto beans

1 pound Great Northern beans

1 pound navy beans

1 pound lentils

1 pound yellow split peas

1 pound green split peas

1 pound black-eyed peas

1. Mix all together or layer in nice pint-size Mason jars.

2. Tie them with a raffia bow, and give as gifts.

3. Attach the following to a gift tag:

            Texas Ranger Nine Bean Soup Mix in a Jar:

            2 to 3 cups Texas Ranger Nine Bean Soup Mix

            1 pound ham, diced 

            1 large onion, chopped 

            1 clove garlic, chopped 

            1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies

            1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes and liquid,

            broken up. Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and sort beans. Place in a Dutch oven and cover with water 2 inches above beans. Let soak overnight. Drain beans. Cover with water, and add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours until the beans are done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a little bit of water to prevent the sticking. Adjust seasonings.