Once fruit is processed, add all to a large roasting pan. Use 2 if 1 gets too full. Boil overs are hard to clean out of the oven. To the total fruit, add the water and vinegar. If using 2 pans, split the water and vinegar amounts.

Bake uncovered in oven at 350 degrees. I baked 3 to 4 hours. Until everything has become very soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from heat and let cool until everything is safe to handle.

If fruit is peeled and cored, skip this step. Run chopped fruit through your food mill. This will remove seeds and peels. In my opinion this process takes way less time than pre peeling and coring. If you pre peeled, use a stick blender to blend fruit. Either way you do it, you want your finished product to have the look and consistency of applesauce.

After processing the fruit, measure the total volume of all of the processed fruits and liquid that is left. You want to have about 1/3 total sugar than finished fruit. Use 1 cup brown sugar then add white sugar to reach the 1/3 total amount. Add vanilla, cardamom, and lemon juice. Mix together well.

Here is where you can make a choice. If you like something more like applesauce, you can stop cooking the product here and get ready to can and preserve. Skip to the steps to preserve.

If you want to continue to the butter stage, add the sugar fruit mixture back to the roasting pans. Roast again in the oven at 325 degrees. Roast until it is very caramelized and dark brown in color. This can take 3 to 4 more hours. The last couple hours keep a close eye on it. It can go from caramelized to burnt pretty quickly. Stir well.

To test the mixture, i put a small plate in the freezer. When cold, put a half tsp of hot fruit on the plate. Wait ten seconds. If you can tilt the plate 45 degrees and the fruit doesn't run. It is done. It should be a nice dark brown color.

Fill your waterbath canner up with enough water to cover pint jars. Turn on high and cover. Bring water to a rolling boil.

Have about 12 pint canning jars ready. Sterilized and lids warming in a pot of simmering water. Transfer fruit from the roasting pan to a heavy bottomed stock pot. Bring to a simmer.

Fill jars directly out of the simmering pot. Leave about 3/4 inch of head space. When all jars have been filled, wipe all of the rims with a clean damp cloth. Cover jars with warm lids. Screw on rings, just over finger tight. Too tight can crease lids from building too much pressure. Be careful in this step because jars will be very hot.

Use a jar grabber to lower jars into the boiling water in your canner. Put as many jars in as you can. When all in, the water should be at least a half inch above the tops of jars. If it isn't, add enough hot water to be there. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to about 7. Wherever it will boil, but not boil over. Set a timer and process for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, use your jar grabber to remove jars from the boiling water. Place jars on a clean towel.

Let cool until jars seal themselves. I always let my jars sit on the counter for 24 hours. After that check to make sure all of your jars sealed. If not, put in refrigerator, or reprocess.

Use as you would any jam. On toast, pbj, sometimes I mix with bbq sauce for a great twist on grilling. Options are endless. Enjoy.