Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

I had the opportunity to spend time with a friend last week, which enabled me to make this Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce. I tend to avoid jams while home alone with my 7-month-old son as they are extremely hot, sticky and messy. Another set of hands in the house, though, gave us the chance to catch up with each other while making this treat. An added bonus was this was her first time making jam and/or canning.

The reason I titled this post as "Sauce" rather than "Jam" is that our jam didn't quite set. We followed the recipe from Food in Jars, but I'm sure it was user error on my part. I'm not the biggest rhubarb fan, but the flavor on this is a nice combination of sweet strawberry contrasting with the tartness of rhubarb. We sampled the leftover sauce that didn't fit nicely into jars drizzled while still warm over lemon curd ice cream. My friend described it best, "There's so much going on inside your mouth, and none of it is bad."

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
2 cup chopped rhubarb
4 cups chopped strawberries
3 cups sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 packet liquid pectin

Prepare jars and lids for canning prior to making the sauce. To make the sauce, stir the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar together in a large non-reactive pan off the heat. Once the sugar has begun to dissolve, place pot on burner and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the lemon juice and zest to the pot, and let it bubble gently for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. As the jam cooks, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash any large pieces of fruit. Add the pectin, stir to combine, and let cook for a few more minutes. Cook until sauce reaches desired consistency, testing using the plate method.

Remove jam from heat, and ladle into prepared jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Tighten lids, and boil 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove from water bath, and cool completely. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 pints.