IT'S A GOOD THING

Found in A Booke of Sweetmeats belonging to Martha (Washington):

TO CANDY VIOLET FLOWERS

Take violets which are new & well cullered. weigh them, & to every ounce  of flowers take 4 ounces of very white refined sugar, & dissolve it in 2 ounces of water. soe boyle it till it turn  to sugar agine, & scum it very often that it may be very clear, then take it of & let it coole. after, put in yr violet flowers, stiring them together til (the) sugar grow hard to  (the ) pan, (then) put them in a box & keep them to dry in a stove.

And you thought Martha (Stewart) was the arbiter of all "good things"!