Thanks for all the responses.
Van, actually I already did something similar to what you said. Since Eric said this, “The vegetables will start fermenting, releasing lactic acid along with all sorts of other beneficial things. The acid will help to draw alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium out of the bone, and bacteria will start eating the physical components of the bone, liberating them into the solution as parts of the bacteria floating about...” I fermented vegetables for some time before adding chicken feet to the fermenting bowl. I think it works. I don’t mind a little bit of salt, though.
I can't give you a science answer, but try this for yourself: Make two batches of shredded cabbage. Ferment one batch the usual way, submerged in water. Make the second batch without water submersion, so the cabbage is in the air. Keep these at room temperature for a week. Sample the two batches and see which one turned into sauerkraut.
My son, the science-y guy, says that if oxygen is present, the lactobacilli will undergo cellular respiration instead of fermentation. Cellular respiration makes piss and shit (his words, very science-y - in other words, methane and uric acid) instead of lactic acid.
Eveheart, see if I understand you alright: As long as the vegetables/bones are totally submerged in the fermenting water, it is alright. Is that what you meant?
I am putting the fermenting stuff in a big corning ware, totally submerged in water, covered by a matching glass lid. Daily I use a utensil to push down the vegetables/bones to make sure they stay in the water. Does this sound OK?
I am not a scientific person. So I checked out methane and uric acid on the internet. Here is what I found:
“Methane is not toxic, yet it is extremely flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogen, and some halogen-containing compounds.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane “In humans and higher primates, uric acid is the final oxidation (breakdown) product of purine metabolism and is excreted in urine….Both uric acid and ascorbic acid are strong reducing agents (electron donors) and potent antioxidants. In humans, over half the antioxidant capacity of blood plasma comes from uric acid….High levels of uric acid is called hyperuricemia and can lead to gout….Lower serum values of uric acid have been associated with multiple sclerosis.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uric_acidSo it looks like consuming a little bit of methane and eric acid is not harmful?
I just want to make sure I am not consuming something harmful...