Poached pears in spiced syrup

Name: Poached pears in spiced syrup
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 pears, peeled with the stalks left on; 750ml water; 150g caster sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 star anise; 1 lemon, juice and 3 strips of peel; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Tender pears simmered in a cinnamon, vanilla and star anise syrup, light and elegant.

Time50 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.45 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

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4pearspeeled with the stalks left on
750 mlwater
150 gcaster sugar
1cinnamon stick
2star anise
1lemonjuice and 3 strips of peel
1 tspvanilla extract

Method

1
Put the water, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, lemon peel and juice and vanilla in a pan that fits the pears snugly. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
2
Lower in the pears. Top up with a little water so they are mostly covered.
3
Cover and simmer very gently for 25 minutes, turning once, until a knife slides in with no resistance.
25 min
4
Lift the pears out onto a plate.
5
Boil the syrup hard for 10 minutes until reduced by half and glossy.
10 min
6
Serve the pears warm or cold with the syrup spooned over.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.