Nothing says holiday season like creating a beautiful gingerbread house with your loving family, especially children.
Gingerbread houses, despite their delectable name, are hard and dense in texture, due to which most of you might think it’s inedible and unappetizing. As a result, many people wonder, can you eat gingerbread houses? What do you do with a gingerbread house after you make it? Are they only for show? How long after making a gingerbread house can you eat it?
Well, stop wondering; keep reading. In this post, we will clear all your doubts about gingerbread houses. Even if you do not intend to make a gingerbread house on your own, you might receive one as a gift and will be unsure what to do with it. So, here you have it, the answers you’ve been seeking.
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Can You Eat Gingerbread Houses?
Well, the answer to this question is yes, but conditions apply.
Gingerbread houses are mouth-watering. They’re created simply with gingerbread, and then people decorate them fancily with all the edibles unless you add non-edible stuff of your own. So, yes, you can eat the gingerbread houses with only edibles on them. As a result, you shouldn’t put non-edible glitter, sequins, or other embellishments on your gingerbread house. However, the silver balls, gems, frosting, and other embellishments are all eatables.
Accordingly, many do not only enjoy making gingerbread houses but also love to eat them. They are pretty safe to consume. However, people primarily design them, keeping the aesthetics in mind rather than the end product’s taste and texture. Furthermore, they are frequently put out on the side to be seen by a passerby for quite a long time, which is not a pleasant treat as it can go stale and may not taste delicious.
When Is It Not Appropriate To Eat Gingerbread Houses?
There are a few reasons why eating the gingerbread house you made is inappropriate. The following scenarios could result in a non-edible gingerbread house:
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If You Kept the Gingerbread House Out For Weeks
Having a gingerbread house for decoration throughout the Christmas season is part of the enjoyment, but it may sit out for a few weeks. The frosting, candies, and gingerbread itself can most likely dry out and turn stale. While they are still technically edible, they will not taste good.
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If You Used Regular Glue to Assemble Your Gingerbread House
Some people use regular glue instead of buttercream or icing to assemble their gingerbread home. If that’s the case with your gingerbread house, please do not eat it because some glues are poisonous. Even if they aren’t strictly hazardous, they won’t taste delicious.
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If You Decorated Your Gingerbread House with Non-Edible Embellishments
Most people use edible candies and gummies to decorate their gingerbread houses so that they can eat them later. But others desire to make a fancy-looking and high-quality masterpiece and thereby use paints and other non-edible materials. Please don’t consume your gingerbread home if you painted it or used other non-edible items to adorn it, such as glitter.
What to Do to Make an Entirely Edible Gingerbread House?
If you do not want to make a gingerbread house for just a show but want to eat it later, you need to be careful while making and displaying your gingerbread house. For instance, you have to be careful about cleanliness, like carefully washing hands and limiting the gingerbread house’s time is left out. Also, you have to showcase it in a dirt-free and hygienic environment.
Let’s have a look at the best tips for making a deliciously eatable gingerbread house:
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Take Care of Hygiene
Who doesn’t love to have children involved in making gingerbread houses, right? As children are frequently involved in making gingerbread houses, proper hand-washing is especially crucial when you want to make an eatable gingerbread house. So, encourage the kids to wash their hands before beginning the endeavor and after any interruptions. Also, use clean utensils and limit touching as much as possible.
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Do Not Leave the Gingerbread House Out for a Longer Time
You mustn’t leave your gingerbread house out for a long time than is necessary. When people make gingerbread houses weeks before Christmas, they go stale and distasteful when ready to consume. Accordingly, you should better make a one just before Christmas (so time it right). You can also keep it in a sealed container and place it in your freezer until you want to showcase it. In this way, your gingerbread house will keep its moisture and stay fresh and delicious for a long time.
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Display in a Dust-Free Environment
Finally, consider where you’ll put the gingerbread house on display. Is it dust-free and clean? Even when you intend to put it on a plate, you should wipe the surface well. Additionally, you need to loosely cover the gingerbread house with cling film to keep dust or pests at bay.
Overall, making gingerbread in a hygienic environment with tasty eatables only and storing a gingerbread house in the freezer while displaying it for only a few days is the best approach to keep it edible. Otherwise, it won’t stay good for very long.
How Long After Making a Gingerbread House Can You Eat It?
The amount of time for a gingerbread house to be good to eat differs based on the brand. However, when you talk about the homemade gingerbread house, the time estimations will vary depending on your recipe. Most commercial gingerbread houses can last up to a month, but they won’t taste as wonderful.
You should consume a gingerbread house within a week after opening it (or preparing the gingerbread).
Additionally, you can break it up into pieces and put them in an airtight jar to make them last longer. If it helps, you can even freeze the pieces.
What Do You Do with a Gingerbread House After You Make It?
If you’ve had a lot of fun creating the gingerbread house, but now you do not know how to consume it to savor the fruits of your labor, here are a few inventive ideas:
- Crush its pieces and top custard or ice cream with it to make them a crunchy sweet treat.
- Break it up into small pieces and dip them in your fancy winter coffees or hot chocolate.
- For your Christmas feast, grind it up to utilize it as a pie crust.
- Make chocolate-dipped truffles using them after grinding.
- For a festive touch, mix bits of it into your cereal.
- Crush and mix it in with your sweet feast of French toast casseroles.
- Mix its pieces into the mixture for pancakes or waffles.
Final Thoughts
Gingerbread houses can and have been eaten for centuries. However, when making a gingerbread house, don’t let unclean hands or incorrect storage infect it. Freeze it and only show it for a few days before eating it for the best benefits.
There are various ways to use the leftover gingerbread house, but do not consume it if you have used non-edible items for its décor.
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