Do you add salt to beans in a slow cooker?

Some home cooks swear by adding salt or baking soda to beans in order to help keep the beans intact as they cook. I prefer the taste of salt over baking soda and have done this a few times myself with great results. Now it’s part of my standard recipe. You can omit it if you prefer.

Do you have to soak beans before cooking in the crock pot?

Although the beans will be COOKED in the slow cooker, I still prefer to soak them beforehand on the stove with enough water to cover the beans. The burner is on for maybe 5 minutes – just long enough to get some bubbles going in the water. I’ll make sure that I have soaked, drained, and rinsed the beans before I go to bed at night. Then the next morning I’ll put them in the slow cooker. Plus, soaking is the key to getting rid of the stuff that causes stinky toots! If you want to make beans without soaking, try my Instant Pot method for cooking beans .

What happens if you don’t soak beans before cooking?

If you choose to skip the soaking process and want to jump right into making this recipe, allow about ½ cup dried beans per 1 quart of slow cooker. For example, I’d start with only 2 cups of dry beans in a 4-quart slow cooker, or 3 cups of dry beans in a 6-quart slow cooker . I do recommend you soak pinto beans and other types of beans, though, especially for sensitive tummies. Read more about the benefits of soaking dried beans here .

Can I double or triple the recipe for beans in the slow cooker?

Since beans get bigger as they cook, you don’t want to overload the slow cooker with too many. Allow plenty of room for the beans to cook – about 1 cup of soaked beans per 1 quart of a slow cooker. If you have a 4 quart slow cooker, 3-4 cups of soaked beans should fit. I have this larger slow cooker (6-quart) and 6 cups of soaked beans cooks up nicely with a bit of room to spare.

Is it safe to cook beans in slow cooker on high?

Yes. Cooking beans in the crock pot on high just gets them to cooking temperature faster than on low. Check pre-soaked beans starting at 3 hours on high to see if they are done. Red kidney beans are the exception to this rule .

Slow Cooker Beans - Cook Beans in Crock Pot the Lazy Way!

Slow Cooker Beans

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How to Cook Beans in Crock Pot. Easy way to save money on healthy food. Hands-off slow cooker beans freeze well and they’re perfect for vegan diets!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Sides
Method: Slow Cook
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

½ lb dry beans
water
½ tsp salt

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Instructions

Pick over the beans to remove any debris or discolored beans. Discard the ugly beans and place the good beans in a large stock pot.
Fill the pot with water, covering the beans by about 2 inches.
Place the pot on a burner and bring the water just to a boil. Turn the burner off and cover the pot with a lid. Let the beans sit overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Pour the beans into a colander and then back into the pot. Cover the beans with water, swish the beans around with your hands and then discard the water. Repeat this process two more times to completely rinse the beans.
Repeat steps 2-4 for a second soak. (The second soak is optional, but best to eliminate as many of the gas-causing enzymes as possible.)
Place soaked beans in a slow cooker, filling the slow cooker with water and covering the beans with about 2 inches of water.
Add aromatics and/or salt if using and cook the beans on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Check the beans for doneness at the 5 hour or 3 hour mark respectively, cooking for longer as needed and checking every 30 minutes.
Once the beans are done, remove from the slow cooker and drain. Measure into 2 cup portions and use immediately, or freeze for future meals.

Notes

If you want to flavor the beans so that they are tastier as a side dish, you can add bay leaves, peeled garlic cloves or dried herbs to the beans at the start of the cooking process.
This is entirely optional, and it’s up to you how much of these aromatics you use, or if you use any at all. Also, some people like to cook the beans in chicken broth, or add ground cumin for flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 40

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/slow-cooker-beans/