Poached Pears in Ginger lemon Syrup

With a vegetable peeler, pare yellow part only of peel from lemon. Cut peel into julienne strips to make 1 table- spoon. Ream enough lemon to make 1 tablespoon juice. In a 5 to 6 quart pan, combine lemon peel, lemon juice, ginger, sugar and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add pears and more water, if needed, to cover them. Simmer, covered, until pears are tender when pierced, about 30 minutes. Put pears in 6 shallow-rimmed dishes or shallow bowls. On high heat, boil syrup, uncovered, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 40 minutes. Pour syrup over pears. Cool, cover and chill until cold or up to 2 days.