Ancient Russians’ Obscure Method of Using Frogs to Preserve Milk
Ah, milk. Some people love it, some people hate it, but milk – in one form or another – is a life-sustaining substance. Ancient cultures that used milk have often run into the dilemma of how to preserve this precious liquid. Before refrigerators, there weren’t methods readily available to extend the shelf life of this fine dairy product. Whether you love milk or hate it, we can all agree that this next fact would make you not want to drink this milk. “TIL that before the advent of refrigerators, Russians would put frogs in milk to keep it from going bad.” – Obscure Fact by oontkima.
Before we all get carried away saying this is crazy and doesn’t work, let’s take a look at some science here. Ancient Russians used a frog known as the Russian Brown Frog. Turns out, this particular frog has pretty impressive characteristics. Amphibians secrete antimicrobial substances called peptides through their skin. This gives the frog a natural defense against bacteria and microorganisms so that they might thrive in their moist environments. One study identified that the skin of the Russian Brown frog has 21 substances with antibiotics and other potential medical activity. So it turns out, this crazy method is actually pretty smart since the secretions of a frog can have both antibiotic and anti-fungal properties.