Instructions

1. You can leave the pears whole or slice them in half and core them.
2. In a saucepan large enough to hold the pears, combine the water, sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon peel. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Add the oolong tea (a tea infuser ball is great here). Let the tea steep in the simmering syrup for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the tea leaves. Add the peeled pears to the syrup.
5. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the pears poach gently for 20-25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Turn them occasionally to ensure they cook evenly.
6. Remove the pears from the liquid. If you want a thicker syrup, you can simmer the liquid for another 10-15 minutes to reduce it.
7. Serve the pears warm or cold, drizzled with the oolong syrup.