Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce - does this say spring?

Strawberry and rhubarb anything is wonderful- especially jam.  I was actually looking for a BBQ sauce recipe to preserve and found a Chipotle BBQ sauce in Mrs Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry- one of the main components of the BBQ sauce is a homemade strawberry rhubarb sauce.  I'm in!

Here is the first part of the recipe- Strawberry rhubarb sauce.  The Chipotle BBQ sauce will follow shortly!

This recipe makes 8 250ml jars.


Ingredients:

1400 gr      ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered
1400 gr      rosy red rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch dice
5 cups        sugar
Juice of three lemons
1                 star anise

Directions:

Put the berries in a large bowl, and gently crush them with a potato masher or wooden spoon.  Add the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and star anise.  Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.  Cover and macerate for at least four hours or, refrigerated, for as long as two days.

Scrape the mixture into your preserving pot.  Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.  Bring to a rolling boil and stir constantly until the sauce thickens to the consistency of ketchup, about 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and discard the star anise.  Ladle the sauce into jars, clean the jar rims, place the lids on  and  place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.