how long to cook great northern beans
Drain and rinse the beans before cooking them. Quick-soak method: Rinse the beans, then put in a saucepan, cover with an inch of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then let them soak for an hour off the heat, drain, and then add fresh water and continue cooking. Soaked beans will cook in about 90 minutes. Use 3 cups of water for each cup of uncooked beans, and you can season the beans by adding bay leaves, herb sprigs, or garlic cloves to the cooking water.