Our King Soopers Dietitian, Jeannie Schwendtner, teaches us several ways to prepare dry beans, including soaking them, which cuts down on their gaseous affect. Check out her crock pot recipe below.

Crock Pot Beans Makes 5-6 cups

Ingredients

1 lb dry beans

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Place beans in a colander and rinse well under cold water. Remove any rocks or shriveled beans.
2. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of clean, cold water. Allow to soak at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
3. Drain soaking water and rinse beans again with cold water.
4. Place beans in a slow cooker with onion, garlic, water, broth and bay leaf.
5. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8.
6. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Notes about cooking dry beans:

• In the summer time, soak beans in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation.
• If using the beans for a sweet recipe, eliminate the onion, garlic broth and bay leaf. Cook the beans in 6 cups of water.
• Different bean varieties have different cooking times, so check frequently for tenderness as they cook.
• If adding salt, tomatoes or vinegar to beans, it is important to add them in the last hour of cooking as they will delay increase the cooking time of the beans.