Poached stone fruit with cardamom

A Middle Eastern dessert dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h

Organic sourcing

Stone fruits like peaches and plums often have pesticide residues on their skins, making them ideal candidates to purchase organic.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe stone fruits (such as peaches, plums, or nectarines)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, thinly sliced

Method

1. Halve and pit the stone fruits, then set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the water and cane sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, lemon slices, and orange slices to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add the stone fruit halves to the simmering liquid. Poach gently for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
5. Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and place into a serving dish.
6. Continue to simmer the poaching liquid until slightly reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes.
7. Pour the reduced syrup over the poached fruit and allow to cool before serving.

Notes

• Use a variety of stone fruits for a colorful presentation.
• This dish can be served warm or chilled.
• The poaching syrup can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Middle Eastern recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.