Easily Cook Black Beans in a Slow Cooker

I'm always surprised that people still buy canned black beans when cooking your own black beans is so easy. Canned black beans tend to be high in sodium, whereas your own cooked beans can have little to no sodium, based on your preference.

Here's a simple recipe for cooking black beans in a slow cooker. This is particularly useful for those who work - the recipe requires minimal prep time and can cook over night or during the work day.

Step 1: Pour 8 ounces (or half a bag of a 1 pound bag) of dried black beans in the slow cooker insert.

Step 2: Rinse the black beans with water and discard any unusual objects or suspicious looking beans.

Step 3: Fill the slow cooker insert with water, roughly 3-4 inches of above the black beans. (The black beans will soak up the water as it cooks. It is better to have too much water than not enough).

Step 4: (optional) Add diced onions or jalapenos for more flavor.

Step 5: Place the slow cooker insert into the slow cooker holder and cover with lid. Set slow cooker to "low."

Step 6: Set timer for 7 hours

Also, this recipe works for any slow cooker - you don't need a built-in timer because you can use a cheap, light timer to accomplish the same task.

bon appetit