This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. Beans are easy to cook and they store beautifully in the freezer. Home cooked beans can be used for any recipe that calls for canned beans (think soup, Turkey Chili, Taco Salad Dip, Cowboy Caviar, Chicken Cream Cheese Chili,…). You’ll just be avoiding the BPA that’s associated with canned foods. Making your own is also very inexpensive. Pick a day that you’ll be home anyways while these simmer away on the stove. My white beans cooked in 1.5 hours while my black beans took nearly 3 hours. Cook time can really vary depending on size, variety and age. Cook until they reach your desired doneness. I cook two large pots of beans at once and they last me through Fall and Winter.
Read these Important tips before you get started:
- Don’t mix varieties in one pot as different ones have different cooking times.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot for even cooking and heat distribution
- Don’t use beans that have been in your pantry for the past 10 years. Buy fresh ones.
- Be patient – don’t rush things by increasing the heat or you’ll end up with mush.
- Keep them in their liquid until ready to serve. I freeze them in freezer safe bags in their liquid and drain only after thawing. This keeps them from shriveling up.
- Use filtered water when soaking and cooking if you want the best flavor (particularly if you have stinky water)
- Don’t be a bean; Pre-soak ‘yer beans (see step 1 below).
- Thanks to some fantastic tips from readers, I’ve learned that cooking them in a slow cooker is a no-go because they have a toxin called phytic acid that needs to boil out or it will cause a rumbly in the tumbly (bad upset stomach). P.S. I learned to cook ‘ma beans from The Kitchn and BonAppetit.
Ingredients for Home-cooked Beans:
2 lbs beans (black, white, or black-eyed, etc) Filtered water 2 garlic cloves, pierced 1 small onion, halved or quartered (or the firm green parts from a leek) 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 Tbsp salt (I used sea salt) 5 1/2 Qt heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven)
How to Cook Dried Beans on the Stove:
Presoak beans in cold water overnight (10-12 hours). Place in a large pot or bowl and add enough filtered water to cover 2 inches over the surface (they soak up water like crazy and expand). Drain and rinse before cooking.
Return to a large pot and add garlic, onion and bay leaves, then add enough water to have 1″ water over the surface of your beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, adding more water as needed to keep them submerged. Skim off foam that rises to the top. For firmer results cook with the lid off, and for softer/mushier, cook partially covered.
Start checking for doneness after about an hour. Once they are nearly done (al dente), add 1 1/2 Tbsp salt or to taste and continue cooking until at desired doneness (DO NOT DRAIN). Remove and discard onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
Freezing instructions:
Once they are at room temperature, transfer into freezer safe ziplock bags along with enough liquid to keep them wet. Remove any air from the bags seal well and stack them flat to save space in the freezer.
