Crockpot Beans

This recipe was given to me by my sister- she got it from a cousin who grew up in the "colonies", so this is the real Mexican deal. I was thrilled that it turned out. I have a ton of dry beans and the saoking method and pretty much anything else I have tried just hasn't turned out, but this worked great. I also did it with my black beans and it worked well. Then I used them in soup and other things. It was nice to do a big batch like that. Hope it works well for you!

Note- Jessica says to throw in a halved potato- it is supposed to help absorb the "gas". I did it because, even if it is a wives tale- I could use all the help I can get in that department. :)

Crockpot Beans
A very tasty and easy way to cook fresh beans.

Ingredients:
pinto beans
water
dried minced garlic
salt & pepper

Directions:
The size of your Crock Pot depends on how many beans you can cook. Just experiment with your pot. I have a 4qt pot and I usually cook 2-3cups of dried beans. Once you have your beans measured, sort through them on you kitchen counter to sort out undesirable beans (if they look like you wouldn't want to eat them pick them out) and small rocks. Sometimes rocks do make it past the bean sorters. Rinse the beans just to clean off any dirt or other things that may be on them. Put the beans in your pot, and fill your crock pot full with water. Add at least 1/4 tsp minced garlic and as much black peper as you desire. Put the lid on and turn your crock pot on high. They take at least 4-5 hours to cook on high. I let mine cook overnight most of the time. The water will change to a brown color and beans will look kind of pink. Just taste one and make sure it is soft. When done cooking, salt the pot to taste. Do not over salt. It is better to under salt and let people salt to taste on their own plates. Now they are ready to eat! Enjoy a nice beans and rice dinner with your fresh cooked beans. To store, divvy up into plastic leftover containers (what ever size you want). Do not discard the juice, that is were the flavor is. You can freeze the beans if you are not going to eat them within a week or so. Just defrost them the next time you want them.