35 Min

• 2 Bosc Pears, peeled, cored, and cut in half – or use whole
• 1½ cups Liquid (Wine, Fruit Juice, or Water)
• ½ cup Water
• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (more or less depending on personal taste)
• 1 Cinnamon Stick or Other Spices (Whole Cloves, Star Anise, Cardamom Seeds, etc.)
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 slice Lemon or Orange Peel

In large sauce or sauté pan, combine liquid (whether wine or juice) with water and sugar, spices, vanilla bean, and citrus peel. Bring mixture to boil, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon. Sugar should dissolve before proceeding with rest of recipe.

Add pears to hot poaching liquid and bring back to boil. Cover with round of parchment and weigh everything down with a lid or plate so pears are immersed. Reduce heat so poaching liquid just simmers. Poach pears 10 to 15 minutes. They should be tender, but not mushy, when done. Whole fruit could take as much as 45 minutes. Using paring knife, you should be able to easily pierce pear all the way through when done.

Strain pears into large container, then let poaching liquid cool completely. Transfer liquid to container with pears, cover, and let pears soak to absorb more flavor.

Alternatively, you can strain out pears and boil syrup down to serve with pears.