Quince Poached with Star Anise

Poached Quince
Quince has a lovely honeyed fragrant flavor. It has not been so common in my farmer's market this year. Quince looks like a giant chartreuse and yellow apple that's a bit oblong at the bottom. Sometimes they're covered in a fuzzy dryer lint sort of layer.

There were some beautiful ones at the organic market, so I've grabbed them, they're usually available from October through December. Quince have loads of pectin so they're good for making jams and jellies: they're the main ingredient in the Spanish fruit paste Membrillo(the deep mauve jammy stuff served with Manchego cheese).

Serve this syrup and fruit with pancakes, crepes or ice cream. You can also use it in cocktails using champagne, sparkling water, vodka, rum and/or ice.

8 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1 inch pieces Vietnamese or regular cinnamon sticks
2 whole pieces Star anise
1/2 a bay leaf
1/2 vanilla bean seeds scraped + pod
2 quince(about 1 pound) peeled, seeded and cut in 1 inch wedges
a pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Cover and set aside until completely cool. Remove quince and boil the syrup until it thickens a bit. You may store in the liquid for up to three weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.