Honey and Spice Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 4 ripe yet very firm Bosc or Bartlett pears
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4- inch piece fresh ginger sliced
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 star anise pod broken in half
- 1 cinnamon stick broken in half
Instructions
- Peel the pears and cut them in half from top to bottom, leaving the stems intact. Core each pear half by scooping out the center with a melon baller or spoon.
- Add the water, honey, and sugar to a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved, then add the ginger, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick.
- Slip the pears into the liquid and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pears can be just pierced with a fork.
- Transfer the pears and the poaching liquid to a smaller container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (You can eat the pears immediately, if you want, but they will have a deeper flavor after steeping overnight in the poaching liquid.) The next day drain and serve the pears.
- If you wish you can reduce the poaching liquid into a syrup; place in a wide saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or until syrupy and reduced by half.