What to use instead of strawberries
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Macerated fruit that gives up sweet juice
Sugar pulls water out of the cut fruit and that juice is the sauce, while the softened berries sit against cream without watering it down.
RaspberriesRan out
1:1 by weight, macerated 20 minutes
Far more acidic and they collapse completely, so you get sauce and seeds rather than pieces of fruit.
Frozen strawberries, thawed and drainedRan out
1:1 by weight, with the first run of juice reduced by half
No structure left, so the fruit is soft right through and there is twice the liquid unless you reduce it.
Ripe peaches or nectarines, slicedRan out
1:1 by weight, macerated 30 minutes with 1 tsp lemon juice
Sweeter with much less acid, and the slices stay firm and slippery rather than going soft.
Rhubarb, cooked firstRan out
1:1 by weight, cooked with 1/3 cup sugar per lb until just soft
Far more sour and stringier. Raw rhubarb never softens in sugar alone, which is why the cook is not optional.
What doesn't work: Strawberry jam thinned with water. It is cooked, pectin-set and over-sweet, so it coats the cake in a sticky gel instead of soaking in, and there is no fresh acidity left to cut the cream.
Fruit blended into a cold drink
It purees into a thick pale-red slush and brings both sugar and enough acid that the drink holds its own without much else in it.
Frozen strawberries, used straight from the freezerRan out
1:1 by weight, with the ice cut by half
Chills and thickens the drink at once, so leaving the full ice in makes it watery.
Raspberries, pressed through a sieveRan out
1:1 by weight plus 1 tbsp sugar per cup
Brighter red and much more sour. Skip the sieve and the seeds turn up in every sip.
WatermelonRan out
1 1/2 cups cubed per 1 cup strawberries
Far more water and much less acid, so the drink is thinner and needs a squeeze of lime to hold together.
Frozen mangoRan out
1:1 by weight
Thick and much sweeter with no tartness in it, and the colour goes orange.
What doesn't work: Strawberry syrup or drink mix. It is sugar and flavouring with no pulp behind it, so the drink stays thin and sweet and separates in the glass within minutes.
Whole berry dipped or set on top of a dessert
The berry has to be dry and firm on the outside for a coating to grip, and its shape is the entire point of the job.
Whole cherries with their stems onRan out
1:1 by count
Smaller and firmer and much easier to coat cleanly, and the pit stays in unless you take it out first.
Dried apricots or pitted datesRan out
1:1 by count
No surface water at all, so the chocolate sets fast and never seizes. Much sweeter and chewy.
Banana chunks, frozen 1 hourRan out
6 chunks per 6 strawberries
The surface sweats as it thaws and the coating slides off, so they have to be eaten while still frozen.
What doesn't work: Berries washed just before dipping. Any water on the skin seizes the chocolate into grainy paste and the coating slips off. Wash them hours ahead and dry them completely.