Are you eyeing up a jawbreaker and wondering if you’ve got time to eat it before you have to rush off to attend whatever social or work engagement you have planned?
Yes, I’ve been there.
Jawbreakers are known for their longevity. That’s what makes them so great.
You get to enjoy delicious flavors for a long time.
But at the same time, their longevity is what can make them inconvenient. After all, we humans have places to be and people to see.
We can’t just sit around all day licking and sucking jawbreakers till our hearts are content.
We’ve got to plan our candy eating!
So let’s find out how long it takes to eat jawbreakers and whether or not we can take breaks in between licking…
So, how long does it take to eat a jawbreaker? It will take you approximately one thousand licks to finish eating the average Jawbreaker. This takes the average person between 45 minutes to one hour. However, larger jawbreakers may take longer, and smaller jawbreakers less time than this.
The same goes for how long your licks are and how long in between licks you take!
And big licks will reduce the number of licks required.
Whereas small licks will increase the number of licks required.
It’s all rather complicated.
So let’s continue to break it down so you can get a better idea of how long it truly takes.
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How Long Does A Jawbreaker Take?
How long it will take to eat a jawbreaker depends on the size of the one you have bought. However, the average-sized Jawbreaker can take anywhere from 30-90 minutes to eat.
If you didn’t know by now, let me save you some agonizing pain by telling you that you shouldn’t bite into jawbreakers. The clue is in the name really, but we’ll discuss why later on.
Just know that when you purchase a flavorsome jawbreaker, you need to eat it by licking or/and sucking it.
Jawbreakers consist of layers and layers of sugar and artificial flavors and all the other ingredients that make them.
In order to finish a jawbreaker by eating it, you need to work through these layers by licking or/and sucking it.
Once you’re through these layers, the Jawbreaker will soften, and you’ll finally be able to bite and swallow it.
CAUTION: As well as refraining from immediately biting your Jawbreaker, please do not try and swallow one hole. That would be nasty!
Now, because you have to get through these layers, jawbreakers aren’t just some candy that you can eat loads of very quickly while sitting.
You may have heard me talk about stuffing your face with gummy bears. I can assure you; you’ll never hear me talk about stuffing your face with jawbreakers.
You eat one Jawbreaker at a time because they take so long to eat.
How long? Well, many factors will influence the time and amount of licks it will take to eat a jawbreaker.
Believe it or not, studies have looked into this.
The results are that the average-sized Jawbreaker takes on average 1000 licks to complete.
So yeah, that’s quite a lot of licking.
Now, of course, one factor that will influence this total lick count is the size of the Jawbreaker.
If it’s a bigger jawbreaker, it will take more licks to eat.
If it’s a smaller jawbreaker, then it will take fewer licks to eat.
It’s that simple.
But there is another factor that comes into play.
And this is how big your licks are.
If you’re taking cat-sized licks, then your total lick count will likely increase, and it will take longer for you to eat the Jawbreaker.
On the other hand, if you’re taking massive, disgusting licks that cover every inch of the Jawbreaker, then you might get it eaten much quicker. However, you might find you pull a muscle in your tongue…if that’s possible.
So one thousand licks are the average.
But the size of the jawbreaker matters, and so too does the size of your licks.
What’s The Fastest Time To Eat A Jawbreaker?
The fastest time you can expect to eat your average Jawbreaker would be around 16 minutes, which would be 16 minutes of continuous licking (to reach 1000 licks).
For eating the Mega Bruiser Jawbreaker, the official world record stands at 17 days, 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 19 seconds.
Now, as far as I know, there isn’t currently a world record for eating an average-sized jawbreaker.
We say that an average size Jawbreaker takes on average 1000 licks to eat. You could, therefore, probably eat a jawbreaker in an hour with 16.6 licks per minute on average.
But some of you out there might think you can get it done in half an hour. Now that would take 33.3 licks a minute.
That’s a lot of licking that I’m not entirely sure the human tongue is capable of producing.
Especially when you consider that you will need to take breaks.
So I think finishing a jawbreaker in 30 minutes would be very, very difficult.
But regardless, these figures give you an idea of how quickly an average-sized jawbreaker can be eaten.
Now there is a record out there for the Mega Bruiser Jawbreaker. This is no ordinary jawbreaker. This is a very large jawbreaker, incredibly dense. Much bigger than the average-sized Jawbreaker.
The record for eating a Mega Bruiser Jawbreaker currently stands at 17 days, 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 19 seconds.
Let me reassure you right now that it will not have been 17 days, 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 19 seconds of continuous licking. The licker would have taken breaks.
So does that mean you don’t have to eat a jawbreaker in one sitting? Hold your horses! We’ll talk about all of that very soon.
BONUS KNOWLEDGE: Remarkably, the Mega Bruiser Jawbreaker is not the biggest in the world. The biggest Jawbreaker weighs in at…12.6kg. Yes, you read me correctly. It was made by an employee of Oak Leaf Confections Co. in Ontario, Canada, back in 2003. This Jawbreaker reportedly took 476 hours to make. So you can probably guess how long it would take to eat the thing. Which, as far as I know, has not been done.
How Long Can Jawbreakers Last?
Jawbreakers can last up to a year if preserved correctly. If not, they can still last a good six months.
It will all come down to how well you preserve it.
Oh and if you left it with salvia on (gross I know, but it’s an important thing to call out).
Let’s face it, not all of us are cut out for eating a jawbreaker in one sitting. We want to be able to put it down somewhere safe and come back to it another time.
But there is a deadline on when you need to finish your Jawbreaker.
Because sadly, jawbreakers can’t last forever, even if it may feel like it when you’re eating them.
If you preserve your Jawbreaker by keeping it wrapped somewhere that isn’t too light or hot, then it can last for a year. After a year, I would probably consider throwing it out.
Unless you have bought the famous brand ‘Everlasting Gobstopper.’ The clue is the name.
If you don’t wrap your candy but still keep it away from heat and light, then it will still last a whopping six months. Which is still impressive, right?
If you keep it somewhere warm where it’s susceptible to light, then it won’t last as long.
Do Jawbreakers Ever Expire?
Jawbreakers will expire depending on how well they are preserved.
If you preserve the Jawbreaker in the way I have described, then you’re looking at one year before the Jawbreaker expires.
If the original packaging is still intact, then they could last much longer (if stored in a cool, dry place out of sunlight).
If not preserved as well, then the expiry will be even sooner.
How Do You Preserve A Jawbreaker?
You preserve a jawbreaker by keeping it in its original packaging (or, if it did not come sealed, a plastic bag). You then place this somewhere that is room temperature and out of light.
So I’ve told you what you shouldn’t do, which is store your Jawbreaker somewhere that is warm and light while it is unwrapped.
We know that you should do the opposite of this.
But what you should also do to increase the Jawbreaker’s longevity is place it in a sealed plastic bag. This will help preserve the Jawbreaker for longer.
And remember, keep it somewhere that isn’t too warm or light!
Why You Need To Be Patient Eating A Jawbreaker
You need to be patient eating a jawbreaker to prevent damage to your teeth, gums, or… jaw.
You essentially have to suck on them long enough until they soften. Only then can you bite them.
They don’t just have that name for no reason.
Jawbreakers really can break your jaw if you bite into them whilst they’re still hard.
Even if your jaw survives, your teeth might not, as they could likely be broken and damaged.
Think about it. You’re not supposed to eat stones and rocks. Your mouth and jaw aren’t designed to withstand that form of texture.
So you have to be patient, continuing to lick and suck on your Jawbreaker until it’s soft enough to finally bite and eat.
Finally
The records are there to be broken.
Please don’t injure your tongue in the process of making any attempts on the world records.
But don’t assume that jawbreaker-eating is just for wild people.
Anyone can enjoy a jawbreaker however they like.
Just remember to preserve your Jawbreaker properly if you’re looking to eat it over a long stretch of time.
Enjoy!
Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.