I probably should have prefaced the prep part of the recipe with a big sticky that read Time Intensive. But now that you have prepped you don't want to give up so you might as well just suck it up and stick it out.
Now that your beans have soaked it is time to cook them. Remove the lids and add enough water so that beans remain covered leaving enough room in the pot for stirring and so they won't boil over. You may have to grab an extra pot at this point and move this around. Place the pot over medium-low heat until it begins to boil, lower heat so that water will remain at a simmer. Simmer for about 3 hours until tender. I mean really tender, mashable tender. When it gets to about 2 1/2 hours grab a few beans out of the pot and try to mash them. If they mash with ease then you are good to go, if they do not then toss the testers and keep simmering.
Watch the water level along the way, you may need to add a bit more as time goes on.
If you didn't fry your bacon before, now is a good time to do so. Save the grease! Or if you are like me and didn't realize you were out then run to the grocery store and grab a pound.
Go ahead and grab a package of Pepperidge Farm Sausalito's or whatever strikes your fancy for yourself while you are there, you are so worth it and your ass looks fabulous in those jeans.
