Crock Pot Beans

INGREDIENTS

Any amount of dried beans (other than lentils)

2 tsp. salt per pound of beans, divided

Aromatics (aka bay leaves, peeled garlic, minced onion, or dried herbs [optional])

Smoked meat (aka ham hock or smoked turkey leg [optional])

EQUIPMENT

3 1/2-quart or smaller slow cooker (for 1 pound of beans or less)

OR

5-quart or larger slow cooker for 2 pounds of beans or more

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the beans overnight (optional): Rinse the beans under cool running water and remove any shriveled or unappetizing-looking beans. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with several inches of clean water. Let sit overnight. Drain before cooking.

[SAFETY NOTE]: If you are cooking kidney beans, boil them for 10 minutes before cooking. This neutralizes a toxin called phytohemagglutinin that can cause acute digestive distress.

2. Transfer the beans to a slow cooker: If you haven't already done so, rinse and pick over the beans. Transfer the beans to a slow cooker.

3. Add aromatics: Place the aromatics on top of the beans.

4. Cover with water: Pour enough water over the beans to cover them by about 2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to dissolve.

5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours: Cover the pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If this is your first time cooking beans or you're cooking an unfamiliar kind of bean, begin checking the beans after 5 hours and then every 30 minutes until they are cooked to your liking. Beans generally finish cooking in 6-8 hours. When the beans are soft but still a little more firm than you'd like, add the second teaspoon of salt and continue cooking until done.

6. Cool and store: Cool the beans and then store them in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

[RECIPE NOTE]: For a quicker cooking time, or if your beans are older than a year, try soaking the beans overnight with a brine solution of 1.5 tablespoons of salt mixed into 8 cups of water.

#beans