The night before cooking, rinse and sort the dried beans, discarding any small rocks or debris. Transfer to a large container and pour in cold water to about 1 inch of water above the beans. Cover and soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 10 hours. Alternately, you can quick-soak the beans by following the package directions. After the beans have quick-soaked, you can continue with the directions below.