Hi Terry. Thanks for catching that! Yes, they need to be covered. I use a Dutch oven with a lid, but you can use a normal casserole dish and cover it with 2 layers of foil. Hope you enjoy the beans!

Hi Dana, I’m not sure why that’s happening! But here’s a rundown of the recipe instructions:

1. Prepare the dry beans. Add baking soda and water to a large stock pot and bring it to a boil.

Next, add the beans and boil them for 10 minutes. Finally, allow them to cool, and place them in the fridge to soak overnight.

2. Mix the beans with the other ingredients. After rinsing the beans, combine them with water, dark brown sugar, salt, ham, onion, and a bay leaf.

Stir until thoroughly combined and pour them into an oven-safe dish.

3. Bake. Cover the pot with a lid, and bake it at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 6 hours. Be sure to stir the beans once every hour.

4. Cool. Remove the beans from the oven and leave them to cool in the pot on a wire rack.

Hope this helps!