Baked Pears

Ingredients

• 12 pears
• the rind of 1 lemon
• 6 cloves
• 10 whole allspice
• to every pint of water
• 1/2 lb loaf sugar

Instructions

1. Pare and cut the pears into halves, and, should they be very large, into quarters;
2. leave the stalks on, and carefully remove the cores.
3. Place them in a clean baking-jar, with a closely-fitting lid;
4. add to them the lemon-rind cut in strips, the juice of 1/2 lemon, the cloves, pounded allspice, and sufficient water just to cover the whole, with sugar in the above proportion.
5. Cover the jar down closely, put it into a very cool oven, and bake the pears from 5 to 6 hours, but be very careful that the oven is not too hot.
6. To improve the colour of the fruit, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added; but this will not be found necessary if the pears are very gently baked.