Crock pot beans

[MYellowRose]

Can someone advise me on cooking different types of dried beans in a crock pot? I need to know the correct method or methods if they differ by types of beans. I'm most interested in fixing pinto, red, and black beans.
Would appreicate advice also on what seasonings/spices/herbs that you use and whether they go in at the beginning of the cooking or at a later time.
Thanks for your help in this matter.

[nancy1340]

Dump beans (any kind expept butter or lima) in crock pot.
Fill 3/4 full of water.
Add ham bone or 3-4 sliced of chopped beacon.
Add chopped jalapano and about one small chopped onion.
Salt & pepper to taste
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

[CarolAnn]

Rose,
I have better luck with dry beans if I bring them to a boil with 1/2 tsp soda first, drain & then cook in the crock pot with fresh water. They don't take so long to cook, and seem to be softer when done.

I buy Italian seasoning for some bean dishes, and also like epazote with red or black beans. Cumin is good for spicy bean dishes.

I try to cut down on fat, so instead of using bacon, I use a dash of liquid smoke to give it a hint of bacon taste. This is really good in a "baked bean" dish - I throw in some catsup, chopped onions, a hand full of brown sugar and a dash of smoke for the last couple of hours of cooking. Yummy!

[MYellowRose]

Thanks ladies. Since I have to cut back on the fat and don't use a lot of salt I'll have to see if I can find some low-salt smoke flavoring. I've used it before when cooking beans on the stove but ran out and keep forgeting to pick up another bottle.
I've got a bag of black-eyed peas that I haven't used, I keep forgetting them. So I may try them first.