Old beans

I have a lot of old, old beans from when we were first married and bought a big huge bag at Costco.  I recently discovered how to use them so they actually cook SOFT instead of always being a little crunchy, no matter how long you cook them!  Here is what to do!

For each cup of old beans, boil 3 cups of water (I guesstimated).  Boil the water FIRST, and then add the beans.  This allows enzymes to be released in the beans, so they actually soften (differently than if you put the beans in the water and boiled them all together) Boil the water, add the beans once it's boiling, then boil for 2 minutes.  After 2 minutes, take the pan off the heat and add 3/8 tsp of baking soda for each cup of beans.  (again, I guesstimated)  Cover with a lid and let it sit for about an hour.  Then rinse and cook as desired.  I love my pressure cooker and I like to cook the beans in that.  You can also put them in the crockpot, or just cook them for a few hours on the stovetop.  Don't put any salt or anything in the beans until they are fully cooked. For fresher beans, it doesn't matter if you add seasonings while it cooks.