For a long time I didn't understand why anyone would choose dried beans over canned. They were cheaper, sure, but saving a couple bucks didn't seem worth the hours spent producing a pot of unevenly cooked legumes, some hard as little marbles, others so soft their skins floated behind them like ragged capes. A can opener and a quick rinse made much more sense to me.

Then I discovered the Parsons Method.

Russ Parsons mentions it in his kitchen science book for non-science geeks, How to Read a French Fry, but rather in passing, not in the solemn tones you would expect from one who is about to change the way you think about beans and how you cook them forever. (Okay, it's true. I don't actually know what tone I'd expect in a life-changing bean manifesto, but there would probably be lightning. And maybe a chorus of angels.)

His method is this: cook your beans in a dutch oven in a low oven instead of on the stove. You don't have to soak them first. And you can add salt during the cooking.

My dutch oven.

It's simple, I know. But there's magic in the even oven heat and early salting, which leaves each bean soft, whole and deeply seasoned. Plus, no soaking means you can add beans to the menu a couple hours before dinner, rather than the night before.

Another crucial component is, of course, the beans. The older they are, the longer they will take to cook and the greater the risk of uneven cooking. I usually avoid beans at mainstream grocery stores, where they have an unpredictable turnaround time, and purchase instead from Latin or Middle Eastern markets, bulk goods stores like Naturewell or farmers markets. And I have only heard good things about Rancho Gordo's heirloom beans, which ship for a flat rate of $8.

Besides extreme age, there are two other factors which lead to beans that never soften: hard water and acidic ingredients like tomatoes or vinegar. Salt is not on this list, despite the widespread belief that salt prevents beans from softening. According to kitchen-science guru Harold McGee, salt does slow the rate at which beans absorb water, but they eventually soften and cook through. I've been salting my beans for over a year now and it has never interfered with the cooking process.

Also: I really need to start dropping the phrase "salting my beans" into casual conversation.

Beans -- The Parsons Method

Measure out your beans, then wash them and pick out any bits of dirt or straw. (One cup of dry beans makes about 3 cups cooked.) If you are using chickpeas, you'll need to soak the beans overnight in cold water; for all other beans no soaking is required.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the beans in a heavy dutch oven and add 2 1/2 cups of water for every cup of beans. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Transfer the pot to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then add 2 teaspoons of salt for every cup of dry beans. Stir and return to the oven for another 30-40 minutes. If you suspect your beans are very fresh, start checking them after they have been in the oven for a total of 50 minutes. Chickpeas will need the full 70 minutes and often even more.

Beef chili with pumpkin.

If you'll be using the beans for another dish, you can either drain them and use them immediately, or let them cool in their cooking liquid and refrigerate, liquid and all. If you'll be eating the beans on their own, you can add more flavor by sauteing aromatics like onions, carrots and celery in oil or bacon fat in the dutch oven before adding the dry beans. Drop in a bay leaf or the herb or spice of your choice. As long as you don't add anything acidic before the beans are fully cooked, you can simmer whatever you like along with the beans.

I used this batch of beans (pinquitos, from a stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market) to make beef chili with pumpkin, using grass-fed ground beef from J & J -- the perfect meal for a rainy December night.