Originally Posted by sylviasmom

I have been eating beans all my life, cooking them for 60 years. Here is what/how I do it. I cook about 2lbs of pinto beans every two/three weeks. First the beans must be cleaned, making sure there are no clumps of dirt or little bitty rocks. Then I put them in a large pot, like a soup pot, pour water on them, just enough to cover the beans. With my hand, I slosh them around until the water is very dirty, dump the water out. I do this about three times. Again the fill the pot to just cover the beans, let it sit a minute, and rinse. Add lots of water and put on the stove, allow to come to a boil. Let boil until the water level drops, but not below the beans. And more water, about 4 cups above the beans and simmer for 4/5 hours. Always keeping the water level high. Halfway thru the cooking process, add salt, bacon, bacon fat or bacon grease. It is that slow cooking that releases the gas. When the beans are done, serve yourself a helping in a soup bowl with a pat of butter and a dash of pepper. Don't forget the cornbread.