Ever since we made the change to more plant-based meals, I find myself using a lot of beans. Canned beans are convenient, but wow, do they have a lot of sodium! Even the low sodium cans have about 10% of your suggested sodium for the day in one serving. In addition, most have some unnecessary added ingredients (firming and coloring agents). I still think they are a good choice, and use them often. However, I set out to see if I could make one big pot at once and freeze them for later. My attempt was successful and now it is quite easy to keep some cooked, frozen beans on hand for any recipe. You can even use them to make your own "refried" beans. Here is how I do it:
Crock Pot Beans
Soak 3 cups dried beans (I usually use a combination of pinto and black) in about 8 cups of water overnight or for 8 hours.
Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the crock pot with 12 cups of water. Cook on HIGH for about 10 hours.
Drain off most of the liquid. This makes about 8 cups of cooked beans. I generally measure about 2-3 cups into freezer bags and freeze with a bit of the liquid. Then they are ready for any recipe that asks for canned beans.
You may have to adjust the seasonings somewhat for a recipe that asks for canned beans because your beans are unsalted.
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