Combine 3 cups water with the honey or sugar in a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the honey or sugar dissolves completely.

Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the syrup.

Add the vanilla bean pod to the syrup as well.

Add the dried fruit (pears, nectarines, peaches, apricots) to the syrup.

Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the fruit is soft.

If some fruit pieces need more cooking, leave them to simmer while removing the tender fruit to a bowl using a spoon.

Once all the fruit is cooked and removed, simmer the remaining juices until they thicken into a syrupy consistency, approximately 5 minutes.

The syrup should be covered with bubbles during this process.

Pour the thickened syrup over the cooked fruit in the bowl.

Optional: Add poached quince or pears, fresh peeled and sliced Fuyu persimmons, blood orange segments, or Asian pears for added flavor and texture.

Optional: Garnish with pomegranate seeds.