Cooking Dried Beans
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.
