Black Beans from Scratch

I love cooking beans, but they can take forever and since I work and commute, it doesn't seem practical most of the time. I used to soak over night and then simmer for a couple hours on the stove top which didn't take a lot of effort, but required multiple steps and seemed to dilute the bean flavor. I have discovered that there is a relatively fool-proof way to make delicious beans: rinse, stick them in a large pot, cover them with water, bring to almost a boil and then stick them in a 250 degree oven for a couple hours. Cooking them in the oven helps maintain the perfect temperature, so they cook evenly. I wait until they've cooked for an hour or so before adding some salt, but I've read that it doesn't actually matter when you add the salt; it won't make the beans tough. And, what about the potential side effects of the unsoaked beans, you may ask? Well, as far as I can tell, there is no difference between the beans whose soaking water was discarded and those beans cooked directly without presoaking. Perhaps it's one of those myths that passes around without any real basis in reality. I also haven't found much of a time difference between the two beans either. However, the flavor

Delicious and Easy Black Beans
Beans - 1 cup dry equals approximately 2.5 cups cooked
Water - enough to cover beans by an inch or two
Salt - 1 - 2 teaspoons

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse beans and do a quick visual check to make sure there are not any pebbles. Put in a large heavy pot (I use a Le Cruset pot) and add enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so. Bring to a simmer on the stove over medium-high. Cover with a lid and put in the oven.

After about an hour check to make sure the beans still have adequate water and to see how quickly the beans are cooking. Cooking time varies with the age of the beans. Add the salt, cover, and continue baking for another half-hour or until the beans are soft.

If you are having problems with tough beans, check the quality of the beans (how old they are) and how hard your tap water is. You may want to switch to bottled water if your beans are always tough.

To make easy refried beans, I remove some of the cooking liquid and use an emulsion blender to puree the beans, adding cooking liquid back as needed. I usually add cumin, garlic, and/or chili and cook down the puree a little.