Fall Fruit Salad

2 medium apples
1 medium firm, ripe pear
2 Fuyu persimmons (I found these at the Asian market in the Strip)
1 large orange (I used mandarin oranges and orange/mango/peach juice because oranges weren't in season)
1/2 cup pomegranante seeds
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
Pinch of salt
Core the apples and pears, and cut the tops off the persimmons, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks. Place in a large serving bowl. Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and the pith from both the orange and the grapefruit. Holding the peeled fruit over a small saucepan so that any juice drips into the pan, cut the sections from both the orange and grapefruit by slicing between the thin white lines of membrane, leaving the membrane and any other pith behind. Place the sections into the bowl and squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane of both the orange and grapefruit into the saucepan (there should be a fair amount of juice).
Add to the saucepan the brown sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, star anise and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the syrup; discard the pod. Pour the syrup into a small metal pan and place it in the freezer to cool it quickly. Strain over the fruit. Discard any solids in the strainer.
Add the pomegranate seeds and toss to blend well. Cover and chill before serving, about 1 hour.

*Courtesy of:  http://shaunasever.com/2011/11/sweet-spicy-fall-fruit-salad.html