1 pound black beans
1 pound red kidney beans
1 pound barley pearls
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

Mix all together or layer in nice pint-size Mason jars. Tie them with a raffia bow, and give as gifts. 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 Ro-tel tomatoes and green chiles
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.