Pickled Pears

|A lovely addition to a cheese platter|pears|500g pears peeled halved and cored250g caster sugar½ cinnamon stick250ml white wine vinegar1.5 cm piece of fresh ginger thinly sliced½ teaspoon whole allspice berries lightly crushed10 cloves½ a lemon|Peel the zest from the lemon and put in a pan with the cloves peppercorns allspice berries sliced ginger lemon juice vinegar cinnamon sticks and sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved.Peel core and halve the pears then add to the pan and simmer for 15 mins until the pears are tender. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and put in a colander to drain. Meanwhile increase the heat under the syrup and boil rapidly for 15 mins until the syrup has reduced by about a third and slightly thickened.Pack the fruit into warmed jars and pour over the hot syrup to cover. Seal label and store in a cool dry place.|10.00 minutes|8|