How long can black beans soak in water before they are rotten?

How do you prepare black beans?

Cooking black beans from scratch is simple. While it requires some planning, there's very little hands-on preparation time. Organic dry black beans are available in the bulk section of many grocery stores. A pot of freshly cooked black beans can be used in a variety of recipes and will keep for five to seven days in the refrigerator, so you can cook at least two cups of dry beans at a time. Cooked black beans can also be frozen in an airtight container and kept for up to six months. The first step to cooking the dry black beans from scratch is to measure out the beans and sort them. Measure two cups of dry black beans and pour them into a shallow bowl or tray. Discard any stones or abnormal, withered, or discolored beans. Next, measure three times as much filtered water as beans, in this case, six cups. Place the sorted black beans in a large glass jar or container and cover with the water. Allow the beans to soak for 12 to 24 hours, either covered or uncovered. At the end of the soaking time, the water will be very dark. Drain and rinse the black beans. Beans that have been soaked require about three cups of water for each cup of beans. It's fine to use more water and drain at the end. Check the water level during cooking so the beans don't burn. Bring the water to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer. Pre-soaked black beans will take approximately 45 minutes to one hour to cook on the stove, or 3-4 hours in the slow cooker. About halfway through cooking, you can add about a teaspoon of epazote, a traditional central American herb that is said to help reduce gassiness. Other seasonings you can add at this time include, garlic, onion, chili powder, and cumin. Beans are done when they are tender. The black beans are now ready to be used in a variety of recipes.