Beans, lotsa beans

Oh, how I love a pot of beans, but I always get so frustrated as they take FOREVER to get tender (if ever!!!) Here's my answer sitting in my email in box waiting for me tonight. Just what I needed to know for tomorrow's cooking. Thanks so much "tipnut" friend!

When parboiling dried beans for baking, the addition of 1/2 tsp of baking soda to each 2 cups soaked beans makes the beans tender in a shorter time. When baked, the beans have a much sweeter flavor than those parboiled in plain water. All dried legumes such as lima, kidney or navy beans and peas, have a better flavor if treated in this manner.
http://tipnut.com/baking-soda/

Then I found this, too!
How do I cook old dry beans?
The longer dry beans are stored, the longer they may take to cook. First, sort and rinse the beans. For each cup of beans, bring 3 cups of water to boil, add the beans to the boiling water, and boil for two minutes. Next, add 3/8 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for each cup of beans, cover, and soak for 1 hour or more. More baking soda may be required for older beans. Next, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly, cover with water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours or until tender. Do not add salt or other ingredients until the beans have softened adequately.