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Ingredients
- Dried Beans
- I rarely cook dried beans the “proper” way, soaking them overnight and then cooking them in fresh water the next day.
Details
Adapted from savvyeat.com
Preparation
Step 1
Method 1: Crockpot
Pour one pound of beans and 1-2 teaspoons salt into a crockpot and add enough water to cover the beans by 2-3″. If you’d like, you can season the water further with salt, pepper or dried herbs. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours, until the beans are fork-tender. Drain off about half the water, then refrigerate in an airtight container in the remaining cooking liquid.
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Active Cook and Prep Time: 10 minutes
Note: Beans such as kidney beans, pinto beans and chickpeas will take close to the full 8 hours. Some varieties, such as Great White Northern beans, will take less time, closer to 6 hours.
Edited to note: According to the FDA, it may not be safe to use this method with red kidney beans. Before cooking your red kidney beans in a slow cooker, boil them on the stove for at least 10 minutes and pour off the water. Then you can safely put them in the crockpot with fresh water and cook as indicated above. You may choose to pre-boil other types of beans as well, as there have been several cases in the UK of food poisoning from dried beans, as Mary describes in her comment below.
Method 2: Dutch Oven
Preheat the oven to 350F. Fill a Dutch oven with one pound of beans and 1-2 teaspoons salt and add cold water until the water level is at least 1-2″ higher than the beans. Season to taste with salt, pepper or dried herbs. Cover and cook at 350F for one hour, then taste test at least 5 beans for tenderness. If any of them are still tough, cook the beans for another 20 minutes and test another 5 beans. Continue testing at 15-20 minute intervals until the beans are fully cooked.
The beans should be tender when you bite in, but not so tender that they are splitting in half with the skin peeling off. In my experience, it takes between 1 hour, 20 minutes and 2 hours to cook a pound of beans, depending on the type. Drain off about half the water, then refrigerate in an airtight container in the remaining liquid until ready to use.
Cook Time: 1-2 hours
Active Cook and Prep Time: 10 minutes
Edited to Note: It is a good idea to pre-boil kidney beans before cooking them. Boil them on the stove for at least 10 minutes and pour off the water. Then you can safely put them in the Dutch oven with fresh water and cook as indicated above. You may choose to pre-boil other types of beans as well, as there have been several cases in the UK of food poisoning from dried beans
To Freeze the Remaining Beans:
To freeze, place the beans in an airtight container and cover with their cooking liquid. Leave about 1/2″-1″ air space at the top of the container to allow the beans to expand. Beans can be frozen for up to 2-3 months, then defrosted when you are ready to use them.
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