KIRBY PICKLES

2 cups white vinegar
2 cups dry white wine
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 dill flowers (or dill sprigs)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 quarts water
18 firm Kirby cucumbers, well washed

In a large enamel-lined pot, combine vinegar, wine, salt, sugar, dill, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes and garlic. Add 4 quarts of water. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off heat, and allow mixture to steep for 30 minutes.

Place cucumbers in a very large glass or plastic bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over the cucumbers, and submerge them by placing a plate on them (make sure no air is trapped beneath). Weight plate down with a glass or ceramic pot.

Allow mixture to cool, and refrigerate for at least three days before using.

Makes 18 pickles
Eric Asimov to The New York Times, August 4, 1999