Some 20 years ago I tried soaking dried beans and they turned out terrible because they never softened up. As a result, I never tried again until recently. My friend Wendy H recently told me that she had found a recipe for cooking beans in the oven and that they turned out much better than the canned version. I had to try this for myself and was so glad that I did. It was very easy and the result is a much tastier bean. It’s definitely worth the effort (which is very little).

Cooking Dried Beans

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Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounces) dried beans such as black beans
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt optional

Instructions

You do not need to soak the dried beans ahead of time.
Heat oven to 325°F.
Rinse the dried beans in a colander.
Transfer the beans to a 3-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or pot with a tight-fitting lid. Note that the pot and lid need to be oven-proof.
Add bay leaf and 2 teaspoons of salt (if using).
Add enough water to cover beans by about an inch.
Cover pot and cook for 75 minutes.
At this point check beans and stir them. Test one - if tender then remove from oven. If not, put them back in the oven for 15 minute intervals, adding a cup of hot water if they are drying out. They are likely to take 90 to 120 minutes (less for smaller beans - more for larger beans).
Let cool. Drain and rinse beans in a colander.

Notes

1 pound of dried beans (16 ounces) equals approximately 6 cups of cooked beans (or four 15-ounce cans of beans). One can of beans is approximately 1-1/2 cups.
Have extra beans? Place them in a bag and freeze for future use.