Saffron Poached Pears

I was patiently waiting for some pears to come to the perfect point for poaching. You want them to be just shy of the point at which you would eat them. At this point, the absorption of the poaching liquid is perfect. They will also not fall apart.
You can poach them whole, but it is easier to half them. I use a measuring teaspoon to scoop out the seeds.

 The liquid is eight cups of water and three and one third cups of sugar. For the spices you will need one split vanilla bean, two thin slices of fresh ginger, three star anise, several alspice berries, several cloves, one cinnamon stick, one lemon sliced in half, a few black peppercorns and a good pinch of saffron.

 Bring the syrup to a low simmer and add your peeled and seed pears. Put a plate on top of the pears to keep them submerged. Poach for fifteen minutes and then turn off the heat. Let the pears cool in the syrup. If not eating right away, store them in the refrigerator for up to five days.