HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS

My husband and I are vegetarians most days.  We have fish or poultry a couple of times a week and beef about once a month.  I cook a lot of beans since most of our protein comes from beans served with brown rice or other whole grains, or  whole grain bread or  pasta. Budget-friendly tip:  Cooking beans instead of buying them in cans saves money. I cook 1 or 2 pounds at a time and use some in recipes, then freeze the rest in can size portions (about 1 2/3 cups cooked beans).  If you are watching salt intake, home cooked beans have a great deal less sodium than canned.

Rinse and sort beans.  Add them to a large pot with 6 cups of water for each pound of dried beans.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse beans.  Place them back into the pot with 6 cups water for each pound. Add 2-4 bay leaves, if desired.  Simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender, but not mushy.  Don't allow beans to boil hard or they will pop open.  One pound dried beans makes about 6 cups cooked.