this is a basic recipe for poaching any fruit, always ensure you have the fruit submerged in syrup and always wash the fruit beforehand. You will find peaches will peel easily after poaching, apricots and netarines not necessary whereas plum skins usually slip off through cooking. You can poach varieties of fruit one after the other in the same syrup it will add a deeper more complex flavour.

4-6 stone fruit

Basic poaching syrup
330g white sugar
750ml hot water

Flavouring – optional extras
Vanilla bean, citrus peel, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick or star anise, fresh lemon verbena leaf or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Method
Put the sugar and water (and your choice of flavourings) into a heavy-based pot and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer syrup gently for 3-4 minutes then carefully add the fruit.

Cut a piece of baking paper to snuggly fit the inside of the pot. Press down to sit lightly on the surface of the syrup. Poach the fruit until just tender – roughly 3-6 minutes depending on size, ripeness and variety of fruit. Remove from syrup with slotted spoon if wanting to keep fruit simply cool in syrup and store in fridge.