I cannot tell a lie. In all my ‘make it yourself’ days I have never cooked my own black beans. The can has been my friend. At $0.99 a can for organic black beans I just really didn’t make the time. Is it worth making your own black beans at home? Does making black beans in the slow cooker really work?
Just how many pounds of dried beans can you get from a 2 pound bag of dried beans?
We all have our own ways to cut corners on time in the kitchen. Mine is my archnemesis, beans. If you have been around a few years you may remember I have a very valid reason not to tackle making my own beans with this tragic tale. I know. I know. If at first you don’t succeed….
Well, I bought 2 pounds of dried black beans a few weeks ago with every intention to cook them up. I have been looking at those cans of black beans ad calculating that 1 pound of black beans in a can isn’t really that much once you drain the liquid off. Aha moment!
Perhaps you are like me and thinking pound for pound without adding in the variables. I never said I’m the best logical math thinker. I mean, I KNEW it wasn’t pound for pound, but I just didn’t put a lot of thought into it.
Just how easy is it to make your own black beans in the slow cooker?
Just how many pounds of cooked black beans come from 2 pounds of dried black beans?
You may never buy a can of black beans again once you realize just how easy it is to make your own black beans in the slow cooker. You may never buy another can of black beans when I tell you that I got 5 pounds of cooked DRAINED black beans out of a 2 pound bag of dried black beans.
Notice, we aren’t even counting the liquid that can of black beans you buy in the store comes with. We also have a slow cooker full of that deliciousness, which will be perfect for thickening soups and whatever else I decide to experiment with. I flash froze some, spread out on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, refrigerated some for this week, and will freeze the black bean liquid in ice cube trays for future use.
And we haven’t even discussed just how easy it is to make black beans in the slow cooker. Are you ready for this?
All I needed was a slow cooker, 2 pounds of black beans, 14 cups of water, and 10 hours. While I slept my slow cooker was working overtime to provide us with a nice big batch of black beans. I don’t think I will ever buy a can of black beans again. Why should I when it is THAT easy? Next time we will try making our own black beans on the stove in case you don’t have a slow cooker.
PrintSlow Cooked Black Beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 lb. 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried black beans
- 14 cups water
Instructions
- Wash and rinse black beans, picking out ones that don’t look so great.
- Put them in a 5 quart slow cooker. (Cut recipe in half if you have a smaller slow cooker)
- Pour 14 cups water over top.
- Give the beans and water a stir.
- Set slow cooker on low for 10-12 hours.
- NOTE: If you aren’t cooking them overnight you can check them at 6 hours and 8 hours to see if they are done.
Looking for ways to use those black beans? Try…
Chicken, Veggie, and Black Bean Soup
Planning to use your slow cooker to make black beans?
Think I’m crazy that I never tried before?
About Heather McCurdy
Heather McCurdy writes at Real: The Kitchen and Beyond where she shows families how to slow down and savor life on any budget with tasty homemade recipes and family travel.
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[…] This is my second favorite method because it’s also set and forget. You throw the soaked dried beans in the slow cooker, cover with water, set, and forget. The only difference is this method takes several hours versus BOOM! Cooked beans. Here is a post I previously wrote on cooking dried beans in the slow cooker. […]