How to Cook Northern Beans

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 25, 2021

Great Northern beans are an inexpensive and simple way to add protein to your diet. For a hands-off way to make a large batch, place the dried beans into your slow cooker. Add the water and seasonings, then cook the beans for several hours. If you want to control the cooking process, cook the beans on the stove top. Make Southern style beans by including a ham bone with the beans. For a really fast way to cook the beans, place all of the ingredients into a pressure cooker. Within half an hour, you'll have a batch of creamy, tender Great Northern beans.

Ingredients

Slow-Cooked Northern Beans

1 pound (453 g) dried Great Northern beans
2 teaspoons (11 g) salt, divided
Aromatics, such as a bay leaf, peeled garlic, a bay leaf, dried herbs, or minced onion (optional)
Smoked meat, such as smoked turkey leg or ham hock (optional)

Makes 5 cups of cooked beans

Southern Style Northern Beans

1/2 pound (226 g) dried Great Northern beans
1 to 2 ham bones
1 bay leaf
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste

Makes 8 to 10 servings (about 1/3 cup or 60 g each)

Pressure Cooked Northern Beans

1 pound (453 g) dried Great Northern beans
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons (5.5 to 11 g) salt
8 cups (1.9 liters) water
Aromatics, like a bay leaf, peeled garlic, minced onion, or dried herbs (optional)

Makes 5 cups of cooked beans

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Slow-Cooked Northern Beans

1
Soak the beans overnight in cold water, if desired. Rinse 1 pound (453 g) dried Great Northern beans or as many dried Great Northern beans as you like and place them in a large bowl. Pick out any shriveled or irregular beans and discard them. Pour enough cold water into the bowl to cover the beans by at least 2 inches (5.1 cm). Soak the beans overnight at room temperature.^{[1]
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- 1 cup (226 g) of dried beans will make 3 1-cup (226 g) servings of cooked beans.
- Soaking the beans before you cook them reduces the enzymes in the beans that cause gassiness.
2
Drain and transfer the beans to the slow cooker. If you soaked the beans overnight, pour them through a colander and discard the soaking liquid. If you're using dry beans, rinse them briefly. Place the beans into a slow cooker.^{[2]
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- If you're using 1 pound (453 g) of beans or less, use a 3 1/2 quart (3.3 liter) slow cooker.
- If you're using 2 pounds (907 g) of beans or more, use a 5 quart (4.7 liter) slow cooker.
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3
Add water, salt, and aromatics, if you're using them. To add extra flavor to the beans, consider adding 1 bay leaf, 1 peeled head of garlic, 1 chopped onion, or 2 teaspoons (4 g) of dried herbs for every 1 pound (453 g) of beans in the slow cooker. Pour enough water into the slow cooker to cover the beans by 2 inches (5.1 cm). Stir in half (1 teaspoon or 5.5 g) of the salt.^{[3]
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- Use dried herbs such as thyme, parsley, or rosemary. Select your favorite herb or use a combined 2 teaspoons (4 g) of dried herbs for 1 pound (453 g) of beans.
4
Cook the beans on low for 5 hours. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on to low. Cook the beans for 5 hours before you check them to see if they're as soft as you want them.^{[4]
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- If they're as soft as you like, turn off the slow cooker, stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt, and use the beans.
5
Cook the beans for another 1 to 3 hours. If you want the beans to be even softer, continue to cook them. Check the beans every 30 minutes. Once the beans are just a little firmer than you want, stir in the remaining half (1 teaspoon or 5.5 g) of the salt. Keep cooking the beans on low until they're as soft as you like.^{[5]
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- Test the beans softness by mashing one between your fingertips. The bean should easily flatten and feel soft in the center. If it's too firm to mash or it crumbles, the beans need to cook longer.
6
Turn off the heat and use the beans. Use the beans immediately or let them cool to room temperature. Transfer the cooled beans to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 week.^{[6]
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- You can also freeze the cooked beans for up to 3 months.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cooking Southern Style Northern Beans

1
Soak the beans for at least 8 hours. Place 1/2 pound (226 g) of dried Great Northern beans into a large bowl. Pour enough water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches (5.1 cm). Leave the beans to soak 8 hours to overnight at room temperature.
- You will need to soak these beans so they cook within a few hours. Soaking will also reduce the enzymes in the beans that cause gassiness.
2
Use the quick soak method if you're short on time. If you don't have time to soak the beans for a long period of time, put the beans in a large pot on the stove. Cover the beans by at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil the beans for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat. Put the lid on the pot and let the beans soak for 2 hours.
3
Combine the Great Northern beans with the remaining ingredients. Drain the soaked beans through a colander and transfer the beans into a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in 1 to 2 ham bones, 1 bay leaf, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, 1 onion cut into 4 pieces, 3 cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
4
Cover the beans by 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to high so the water begins to boil vigorously.
5
Reduce the heat and simmer the beans for at least 2 hours. Turn the heat down to medium or until the water bubbles gently. Simmer the beans with the lid off of the pot until the beans soften and a lot of the water evaporates. If the water completely evaporates, add enough to cover the beans. Stir the beans once or twice as they cook.
6
Check the beans and serve them. After 2 hours, taste some of the beans and check the texture. If the beans are still firm, continue to cook and check them at 15 minute increments. Add more water if it evaporates before the beans are finished cooking. If the beans are soft, turn off the heat and adjust the seasonings as needed. Remove the bay leaves, onion, and ham bones before you serve the hot beans.
- Refrigerate the leftover beans in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Pressure Cooked Northern Beans

1
Measure all of the ingredients into the pressure cooker. Put 1 pound (453 g) of dried Great Northern beans into a 6 to 8 quart (5.6 to 7.6 liter) electric or stovetop pressure cooker. Stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt, and 8 cups (1.9 liters) of water. Include any aromatics you want (such as 1 bay leaf, 1 head of garlic, 1 onion, or 2 teaspoons/5.5 g of dried herbs).^{[7]
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- You can add an extra 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt if you prefer.
- To ensure that the pressure cooker works correctly, avoid filling it more than half full.
2
Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Put the lid on the pressure cooker pot and secure it so the pressure regulator valve closes. If you have an electric pressure cooker, turn it to the "sealing" position.^{[8]
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3
Pressure cook the Northern beans for 20 to 30 minutes. If you're using a stovetop pressure cooker, turn the heat to high until it builds pressure. Turn it down to low and pressure cook the beans for 20 to 25 minutes. If you're using an electric pressure cooker, set the pressure cooker for 25 to 30 minutes.^{[9]
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4
Turn off the heat and release the pressure in the pot. Once the beans have finished cooking, turn off the heat and let the pressure release on its own without opening any valves. It should take 20 to 30 minutes for the pressure to release naturally before you can unlock and open the lid.^{[10]
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- While you can do a quick release by opening the valves, the beans are more likely to burst open or lose their shape.
5
Use the beans immediately. If you'd rather store them, let the beans cool to room temperature. Transfer the cooled beans to an airtight container along with their cooking liquid. Refrigerate the beans for up to 1 week.^{[11]
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- For longer storage, freeze the cooked beans for up to 3 months.