How to Cook Dried Beans in a Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black beans
• Water to cover beans by two inches

Directions

1. For presoaked beans, choose a slow cooker with a capacity of at least 3.5 quarts for 2 cups of dried beans. If your cooker is larger, you can scale up the quantity of beans.
2. Sort through the dried beans, removing any that look cracked, broken or shriveled.
3. Add 2 cups dried beans to the slow cooker crock, then cover them with cold water by several inches and leave them to soak overnight. The next day, pour off the soaking water and discard it.
4. Return the soaked beans to the slow cooker, then add fresh water so the beans are covered by 2 inches.
5. Set the slow cooker to HIGH and cook until the beans are soft all the way through, about 3-4 hours for soaked beans. If you use low instead, plan on about twice as long.
6. Drain the beans. You may keep the cooking liquid if you like, though it contains the indigestible carbohydrates that can make beans gassy.
7. With either the presoaked or un-soaked method, 2 cups of dried beans yields about 6 cups of cooked beans.
8. To freeze, transfer the beans to a plastic container with a snug lid and store them for several months, until you are ready to use them.
9. For un-soaked beans, start with a slow cooker that holds 3.5 quarts or more for 2 cups of dried beans. A larger slow cooker can handle a larger batch.
10. Look through the beans and toss any that are broken or shriveled.
11. Place the beans in the slow cooker and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches.
12. Cook on HIGH until the beans are tender and fully cooked, about 5-6 hours for un-soaked beans. Cooking them on low will take about twice as long.
13. Drain the beans. If you want to keep the cooking water, you can, but it does contain the indigestible carbohydrates that make beans cause gas.
14. Presoaked or unsoaked, 2 cups dried beans will give you about 6 cups cooked beans.
15. Freeze the beans in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid for several months, until needed.