This section is from the book "Canning, Preserving Pickling and Fruit Desserts", by Jeanette C. Van Duyn. Also available from Amazon: Canning, Preserving, Pickling And Fruit Desserts.
Wash and rinse the flowers (1 lb.), then drain, and spread out on paper to dry. Make a syrup of 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water, stirring constantly over a gentle fire until it reaches boiling point, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and allow to cook rapidly undisturbed until the "soft ball" stage has been reached, which can be tested by dropping a little of the syrup in cold water, when it can be taken up and formed into a soft ball between the thumb and finger. Add the flowers to the boiling syrup, press them well under and let boil up once, then pour gently, without shaking, into a meat platter rinsed in cold water, and allow to stand until the next day. Then drain the flowers from the syrup, add another cup of sugar, and again bring the syrup to the soft ball stage. Add the flowers and again leave to stand until the following day. Remove the flowers from the syrup as before, bring syrup again to the soft ball stage, then add flowers, remove from the fire, and stir until the sugar turns grainy. Separate the flowers and dust off any superfluous sugar, then pack into boxes between sheets of waxed paper.
 
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