Why Strawberries Are The Worst Fruit To Add To Homemade Pudding

It is undeniable that berries are delicious and refreshing on their own, but why should they keep their lively flavors to themselves? The sweetness and tartness of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries often work wonders when mixed into a homemade pudding, proving that banana pudding doesn't always need to be the star of the fridge. These berries are bite-sized packages of flavor that should not be left out of the mix.

The only berries uninvited from this pudding party are strawberries. The high water content of strawberries combined with their natural acidity could leave the pudding with a gravy-like consistency. If you are planning on whole or cut berries being core components of your pudding, strawberries are best left on the sidelines for the sake of the pudding's consistency. However, if the best strawberries you can find are central to your berry pudding vision, adding them as toppings when the pudding is served is a great workaround for getting their bright color and flavor into the mix.

Don't let the absence of fresh strawberries in your fruit pudding get you down. A common way to add strawberries to pudding without an excessively thin consistency is to purée fresh strawberries so that they can be mixed into the pudding body itself.

This solution only partially alleviates the consistency issue, which is caused by the interactions between the acid of the strawberries and cornstarch, which is commonly used as a thickening agent. Usually, cornstarch can simply absorb excess water in what it is added to, but when paired with acids, the molecular structure of cornstarch is broken down. Without enough cornstarch the pudding will be too thin, and with too much cornstarch the pudding will be too starchy.

There is a balance to be found between cornstarch and the acidity of the strawberries, but if this balance is too difficult to find, it might be worth experimenting with an one of the effective substitutes for cornstarch, such as tapioca, which is frequently used in puddings.

Strawberries don't need the other berries to have fun; take strawberry rhubarb bread pudding as an example. It is no secret that strawberry and rhubarb are a reliable duo for a sweet and sour masterpiece, but this dessert takes this duo to new, delicious heights. The bread itself acts as a soft bed for golden, sugar-dusted dreams that are sure to make you pinch yourself. Add a scoop of your choice of ice cream for an à la mode treasure.

For a chilly pop of pink in the freezer, frozen strawberry custard is just the dessert. This custard hosts the perfect solo concert of strawberry's signature sweetness by harnessing the mouthwatering flavors and aromas of the strawberry season's harvest. If you were planning on sharing your chilled dessert with some adult friends, strawberry sorbet with Grand Marnier will deliver a complex flavor teetering between bitter and sweet, but settling on delicious.