Cooking Dried Beans

Why have I never done this before? It might be food science, but it certainly isn't rocket science.

I did some research online and ended up using a combination of cooking methods. It worked for me and I was very happy with the outcome. One pound of dried beans makes approximately the equivalent of three cans of beans. 

My motivation: reducing the sodium in our diets, cutting down on the use of prepared foods in my cooking, and saving money.

I didn't get photos of the process, but it was simple. 

After rinsing and sorting a pound of dried beans, place them in a large oven-safe pot with 6-8 cups water. Don't measure, just run water in until it is a good inch or more over the beans. Soak overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Cover with fresh water, again a good inch or more over the top of the beans. No salt, no seasonings. 

Cover the pot and place it in a 325 degree oven. Bake for about 90 minutes. Start checking at about 1.25 hours. To check, take a bean out with a spoon, let it cool, and taste it to see if it is tender. 

When the beans are done to your liking, drain again and package into freezer containers. I simply used a slotted spoon to transfer them from the pot into plastic containers.

No more canned beans for us!