In a 3-quart pot, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of water with the sugar, ginger, peppercorns, and saffron to a boil.
Add the pears, reduce heat to low, and simmer, occasionally basting the pears, until the liquid is reduced by one-half and has reached a syrupy consistency and the pears are tender when lightly pierced with a sharp knife tip, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve the pears drizzled with the remaining warm syrup.
Notes:
Pink peppercorns are not really peppercorns at all; they are the dried berries from either a member of the rose family commonly known as the Peruvian pepper tree or a related species known as the Brazilian pepper. They are so named because not only do they look like peppercorns, but they also have a peppery taste. Pink peppercorns release a faintly pine-like aroma and have a sweet, warming scent. I think these rosy peppercorns give off just the right amount of heat and wed beautifully with the warm ginger to create a new flavor for poached pears.
When buying pears for immediate use, test for ripeness by slightly pressing the skin near the stem. It should feel slightly soft, but the body of the pear should be firm. If a pear feels soft all over, it is generally overripe, and the flesh may be mushy or mealy. If you are buying for later, choose pears that are firm near the stem. To speed up the ripening of hard pears, place them in a paper sack with a whole banana and punch a few air holes in the sack. The pears should ripen in two to three days. You will know they are ripe when you begin to smell their heady sweet fragrance and the stem area starts to soften.
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