How to make gulkand at home: sun method and quick method
Make gulkand at home the sun-cured way or the quick stovetop way: petal-to-sugar ratio, which roses are safe, how long it takes, how to store it.
The short answer
Gulkand is rose petals preserved in sugar. Layer fresh, unsprayed rose petals with an equal weight of mishri or sugar in a clean glass jar, close it, and keep it in direct sun, stirring with a dry spoon every day, until the sugar melts and the petals turn soft and dark — usually two to four weeks, depending on the heat. A quicker version cooks the same petals and sugar on a low flame in about twenty minutes, at the cost of some fragrance.
First: which roses can you use?
Use only fragrant, unsprayed roses — from your own garden, or from a grower who can tell you nothing was sprayed on them. Florist and decorative roses are usually treated with pesticides and fungicides and are not food. Pink Damask (desi gulab) roses give the best gulkand; scentless hybrid roses give a sweet jam with little rose in it. Pick in the early morning, when the scent is strongest.
Method 1: the traditional sun method
1. Pull the petals from the flowers and discard the green and white base of each petal, which is bitter.
2. Wash the petals gently if needed and spread them on a cloth until completely dry. Any water left in the jar can make it ferment or grow mould.
3. Weigh the petals and take the same weight of mishri (powdered) or sugar.
4. In a dry glass jar, make alternate layers of petals and sugar, pressing each layer down. Finish with sugar on top.
5. Close the jar and keep it in direct sunlight through the day, indoors at night.
6. Once a day, stir and press with a clean, completely dry spoon.
7. In two to four weeks the sugar melts, the petals darken and soften, and the jar smells of rose. It is ready when no dry sugar is left and the mixture is soft and thick.
Method 2: the quick stovetop method
1. Mix 1 cup of dry petals with ¾–1 cup of sugar and leave for 30 minutes, until the sugar draws out moisture.
2. Cook in a heavy pan on the lowest heat, stirring, for 15–20 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens like jam.
3. Cool completely and store in a dry glass jar.
Stovetop gulkand is quicker but tastes more of cooked sugar; heat drives off much of the rose scent that slow sun-curing keeps.
Adding kesar, elaichi or honey
For kesar elaichi gulkand, add crushed cardamom seeds and a few strands of saffron while layering. Some people stir in honey at the end of the sun method; add it only after the sugar has melted. Fennel (saunf) is another traditional addition.
How to store homemade gulkand
Keep it in a glass jar, use a dry spoon every time, and close the lid tightly. Kept this way, well-made gulkand lasts for months; if you see mould, smell alcohol or see bubbles, throw it away. Our guide to storing preservative-free preparations explains why a wet spoon is the usual culprit.
When it is easier to buy it
Making gulkand needs a lot of petals — roughly as much petal weight as finished sugar — and unsprayed fragrant roses are hard to find in a city. Our Rose Gulkand is made in the Haldighati valley from Chaitri roses, the Damask rose that blooms there each spring, with just petals and mishri. Read how to choose good gulkand before you buy any jar, and gulkand kaise khaye for ways to eat it.
Buy from the Haldighati valley
- Rose Gulkand — Sun-cured Damask rose petal preserve. 470 g, ₹449.
- Kesar Elaichi Gulkand — Rose gulkand with saffron and green cardamom. 470 g, ₹549.