Poached Pears with Orange Zest and Cinnamon

Gift in a jar Poached Pears with Orange Zest and Cinnamon Makes about 5 pints 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup honey 2 cup water 6 pounds Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, cored, and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice Zest of 1 orange 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half In a stockpot, combine the sugar, honey, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and the honey. When the water boils, add the pear halves and the orange zest. Cook just until the pears are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Place 1 cinnamon stick half in each jar. Scoop the pears into all five jars, then use a ladle to pour all the syrup over the pears. Screw on the lids and let the jars come to room temperature (or process them in a hot water bath). If you haven’t processed them, transfer to the fridge. To gift, cut out a circle of pretty fabric. Secure it around the lid with a piece of ribbon. Add a little card that lists the ingredients and instructs the recipient to keep refrigerated.