Our family goes through beans like water. Bean and cheese tacos are consumed with delight. Almost every day. Which is great for this mama, because they are easy and always a sure win with both girls.

I’ve been making my own beans for a while that we usually eat within a few days, but decided to make enough to freeze.

Sort through your beans, discarding any beans that are split, halved or peeling.

Julia was insistent that the black beans were pinto and the pinto were black beans. I tried correcting her several times before I just dropped it. She smiled. I think she was just pulling my leg and I totally fell for it.

Wash your beans thoroughly.

Place in a large stock pot and cover with water. Put on a lid.

And wait.

And wait.

I try to let my beans soak at least 12 hours. What more information on why we soak beans? Check this out.

The next day I pour out all the water and rinse the beans thoroughly again. You’ll notice that the beans aren’t nearly as hard and are much larger.

Place back in the stock pot and cover with water (at least 3/4 full). I always add salt. I’d suggest at least a teaspoon to give it more flavor. For pinto beans, add in an onion cut into quarters (and if you have cooked bacon, add that too!).

Cook the beans on medium low heat, with the lid partially on (this allows them to still boil – more of a simmering boil) for about 3 hours, or until done.

Once they are done, allow to cool. Then bag them in 2 cup incriments (this is the amount in most cans of beans).

I didn’t have hardly any pinto beans, because we ate most of them before I got the chance to bag them. I started out with 2 cups of dried organic beans and walked away with 6 cups of black beans and 2 cups of pintos. Now, it might seem like a lot of work for such little return, but there is very little hands on time, the cost is super low (less than $3 for all the beans) and the benefits to making your own beans is worth the effort!