Soaking Dry Beans

Soak dried beans to shorten cooking time. Pick out any foreign objects, little rocks, sticks, etc. Rinse in a colander. Cover with water to soak for a few hours or overnight. Then discard water and rinse again. Cover with fresh water for cooking. Add salt and seasonings when beans are about half cooked, and continue cooking until soft. To test take a bean out with a spoon and blow on it. If the skin peels back, they are done.