Why putting frogs in milk might actually prevent it from spoiling
In short: Before refrigeration became standard, people used an unusual method to preserve dairy: they dropped live frogs into buckets of milk. While often dismissed as a myth, recent research suggests there may be a biological basis for this practice.
To explore the chemical basis of this ancient Russian custom, Dr. Albert Lebedev, an organic chemist, headed a team from Moscow State University. The study explores how the presence of a frog might interact with milk to delay spoilage in unrefrigerated conditions.
While the practice is largely obsolete today, the findings indicate that it wasn't purely superstition. However, the research notes the practical trade-off: while the milk might stay fresh longer, the consumer would ultimately be drinking milk that contained a frog.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: That Time People Put Frogs in Unrefrigerated Milk to Keep it From Spoiling
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