Dried Pinto Beans

Dried pinto beans are super cheap to buy and actually really easy to cook. Especially if you have a slow cooker.


The first thing you need to do when you open the bag of beans, is to sort through them. It's easiest if you put them on a table or countertop that you can slide them into your bowl from.
You're looking for rocks, wrinkled beans, any debris, or beans that just don't look good. Your dried beans should be brown, smooth, and pretty much all look the same. 


This is some of what I picked out while cleaning my beans. 

Once you have your beans picked through, put them into your pot. This is the full 1 pound bag of beans. For this instance, we'll use a slow cooker. Fill the dish with enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. They will absorb some water and swell up as they sit. 


 


I get the beans ready the night before and leave them sit overnight. The next morning, I dump the water out and rinse the beans twice. Making sure the water is mostly clear at this point. Then I fill with water to about an inch over the beans. 

Ready to add spices. 
I like to add garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and sometimes a small spoonful of yellow mustard. If you have fresh onion, you can chop and add that. I also like to put in a smoked ham hock, if I have one. They are also pretty inexpensive to buy. They add a lot of flavor to the beans. Just remove the bone at the end of cooking.
You can change up the seasonings as you like. 

Put the lid on and set to low. Depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks, it could take 6-8 hours for the beans to be tender to your liking.
Check them every few hours. Don't let the liquid dry up. You can add more as needed during the cooking. Once they've cooked for awhile, give it a stir and taste the broth and decide if you want to add more of any seasoning.

Depending on how many mouths you're feeding, you may have leftovers. They freeze well for a meal another night. You can make refried beans or use them in other dishes. 

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