My mother-in-law always said you couldn't cook beans without a ham BONE in them and she had the best beans I have ever tasted. I think she added some onion and salt and pepper to the mix and always used Northern beans, no the navy beans. She always said the navy beans were too hard.
I think vegetable soup tastes better with soup bones cooked in them too. I have tried it with and without and there is something in the bones that give the soup, beans or whatever you are cooking a better flavor.
We like a sweeter cornbread, so I have always used the Jiffy Mix, but have now come up with a recipe that is close to the same thing so if not in a hurry, I make it from scratch.
All this is making me hungry for some ham and beans Ummmmm!
All this talk about soup