Peel, quarter and core the quince. Be careful as they are very difficult to cut so make sure you don't cure yourself. You can keep them in water as they do discolor very quickly but it doesn't help much. Maybe ad some lemon to the water. i didn't try that.
Put 4 cups of water in a pot together with the sugar, lemon and orange peel, staranis, cinnamon and cardamom and bring to the boil until all sugar is dissolved.
Add the quinces and slowly cook for 30-45 minutes or until they are tender when poked with a small knife. Leave to cool in the poaching liquid. Remove the unedible spices and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
I more or less combined two different recipes together but basically add whatever spices work for you. I loved the combination I used but you can add cloves in there or other spices too.