- 4 quarts apple juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long)
- 1 large piece crystallized ginger
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 Fuji apples, or other cooking apples
- 4 Bartlett or Anjou pears
- Fill a large, heavy pot with apple juice. Tie the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and cloves together in a cheesecloth bag with kitchen string and add to the juice. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, partially covered, to infuse flavors.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon into a large bowl and fill with water. Core the apples and pears from the bottom and peel them. Drop immediately into the lemon water (to prevent browning) until poaching time.
- Carefully add apples to the boiling poaching liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Add the pears to the liquid and poach until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
- Cool the poaching liquid to room temperature and discard spice bag. Return fruit to the liquid and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, place the fruit, stem-ends up, on a cake stand or platter. Strain some of the liquid over the fruit.