6 hard pears

½ cup Billington’s Light Brown Muscovado Sugar or Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Light Brown Sugar

1 ½ cups cider vinegar

2 cloves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed

Peel the pears leaving the stalks intact.

Place the sugar, vinegar, cloves, peppercorns and halved cinnamon stick in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the pears, laying them on their sides and cover the pan.  Simmer gently for about 20-40 minutes until the pears are tender (the exact time depends on the ripeness of the pears) basting from time to time with the liquid.