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Why rural communities once put a frog in milk to keep it from spoiling

Popkin
Jan 14, 2026
∙ Paid

A frog. Image: David Clode (Unsplash license)

People in rural communities in Russia used to place a frog in their milk jar to keep it from spoiling. Without refrigeration, this was an alternative way to keep milk fresh. This practice might sound wild by today’s food safety standards (and I would not personally recommend trying it), but natural compounds …

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