Basic Bean Cookery

Methods
Soaking Beans—Dry beans cook much faster and hold their shape better when they are pre-soaked.
One-Hour Hot Soak—To 1 lb. Nebraska dry beans add 6 to 8 cups hot water. Heat to boiling, boil 2 minutes, then set aside for an hour or so.
Overnight Salt Soak—To 1 lb. of Nebraska dry beans add 6 cups cold water and 2 teaspoons salt. Let stand overnight or for several hours.
Cooking Beans—Drain soaked beans, put into a good-sized kettle. Add 6 cups hot water, 1 to 2 tablespoons shortening and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil gently with lid tilted until tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

• Simmer beans slowly. Cooking too fast can break skins.
•Acid slows down cooking. Add tomatoes, vinegar, etc. at the end of cooking time.
•A tablespoon of oil will prevent foaming.
•Cool cooked beans quickly, cover and refrigerate.

Freezing beans—Cooked beans and bean dishes freeze exceptionally well. When you cook beans for freezing, undercook them a bit, since freezing softens them somewhat. Cool quickly, uncovered; pack into containers, seal and freeze. Thaw and use as desired.
Bean soups or purees freeze very successfully. It’s smart to package them in sturdy plastic bags or containers in sizes to fit your own family. Be sure to allow head space for expansion.
Pressure Cooking—You can pressure cook dry beans. Be sure to allow plenty of room for expansion or foaming. Place soaked beans in pressure cooker, no more than 1/3 filled, ad water to cover and 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover, cook at 10 pounds pressure about 20 minutes.
Crockery Cooker—place beans in boiling water (enough to cover) and simmer for 10 minutes. Then place beans in crockery cooker and add 6 cups of water per pound of beans. Cook on low for 12 hours. This takes care of both the soaking and initial cooking steps.