Note: I use the same cooking formula for whatever bean I use. All I change is the cooking time, if needed. You will know when they are done because once the bean is tender to the bite, it's all good. Plan on at least 1 hour to 1.5 hours cooking time, depending on the legume you use. Garbanzos and Pinto beans seem to take the longest for me.
Rinse beans in a colander under running water. Pick out any stray rocks or cracked beans.
Place them in a large saucepan and cover with about 3 inches of cold water. Add nothing else.
Put a lid on the pot and soak overnight (alternatively you could do the soaking process in the morning and cook the beans later on in the day if you wish.)
The next day, drain and rinse your beans again. Put them back in the pot and again, pour fresh water over them - about another 3 inches (you want to make sure the beans have plenty of water to cook in)
Bring water to a boil and then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Don't add any salt. Salt can tend to toughen beans if added too early
However, if you would like to add some flavor to the cooking water, now would be the time to add fresh rosemary, onion slices, whole garlic cloves or spices.
Watch your beans to make sure there is enough water going and they remain at a low simmer. You may start to see a white foam gathering on top of the water. Skim it off and discard.
Once your beans are tender, turn off heat and remove. Add 1 tsp salt to the beans (per 2 cups dried beans) and let sit, covered, until water is room temp. This adds a lovely creaminess to your beans and provides a delicious texture.
Finish by draining thoroughly and they are ready to use.
Notes
You can store cooked beans in the freezer to use for later or simply refrigerate. If you are like me, I use them right away. I don't recommend leaving beans in the refrigerator for more than 4 days.
Recipe by Scratch Mommy at https://scratchmommy.com/cooking-beans-from-scratch-101/