Sun-cooked Rose petal Jam | Homemade GULKAND (with Honey) | & Instant Gulkand

 

Rose, Pink & Fragrance- Is there any other super combination like this to melt our Heart? I guess, Nope.
Rose- A symbol of love. Gulkand recipe is prepared with the pink rose petals (Rosa Damascena) and is nothing but the preservation of rose petals in honey. Gul means 'Rose' and Qand means 'Sweet'. It has been in Indian tradition for many years and it is nothing new in knowing it as a powerful ayurvedic medicine.

The mesmerizing fragrance of the 'pink rose petals' along with the natural sweetener 'Honey' would do magic in our metabolism and lend us numerous health benefits to lead a healthy way of living.

Most commercial brands preserve the rose petals in white sugar which forms a Gulkand. The sugar could be powdered and the rose petals could be crushed before preserving as a jam. In India, the rose petals and sugar are usually layered and kept under the sun for a few days.

I use Organic Honey ('Marthandam Honey') for this recipe as Honey is a natural sweetener with extraordinary health benefits. To make the rose petals jam more healthy, honey is the only best option to pair with the rose petals.

Which Rose to Pick?

• Rose petals should be of Culinary grade by which I mean that they should fall in an edible category.
• Decorative rose petals have harmful pesticides which damage the internal organs when consumed.
• Getting the rose petals from the well-known organic market or your own organic garden is great for making Gulkand.
• Rosa Damascena is the best edible rose variety to pick while making Gulkand. They are baby pink in colour with a rosy sweet aroma.

Why Gulkand should not be treated under direct Heat?

• Gulkand tends to lose its nutrients when treated under direct heat.
• Gulkand when keeping under the sun preserves the Rose petals and Honey leaving no changes to the nutrient profile. So, it is highly recommendable to keep the rose petals jam under the Sun for a few days though the Instant Gulkand is also possible.

What is Instant Gulkand? How it is made?

• Instant Gulkand takes advantage of direct heat (heating over the burner).
• The sugar, rose petals mixture is heated for a few minutes over the burner to make an Instant version of Gulkand.
• Honey, when heated above 42-degree Celcius could lose its good nutrients and hence is not recommendable to make an Instant version. 
• If you really have no time to keep the Gulkand under the sun, go for Instant version but make sure to heat not the Honey Gulkand above 42-degree Celcius.

This post reveals both the Normal and Instant version of Honey Gulkand though Instant Gulkand is the one that I don't prefer. It's really worth to spend a few days before consuming the Honey Gulkand as it borrows the goodness from the Sun rays. I add little chopped nuts to the Gulkand for additional healthiness.

Gulkand could be consumed by any individuals including pregnant and lactating mothers. Rose petals contain 80%-90% water content which helps hydrate the body and heals any discomfort due to over-heat.

Know the Amazing Benefits of Honey Gulkand:

• Best body coolant which avoids internal body heat.
• Best medicine for Ulcer & Constipation.
• Great medicine for Pregnant ladies which is known to heal Indigestion.
• Helps omit dehydration of the body.
• Holds anti-ageing effect and benefits skin glow.
• Best detoxifier which detoxifies the body from inside.
• Rich in Iron which helps heal Anaemia.

Some Common Mistakes when making Gulkand?

• There should not be any water present in the rose petals after washing. Wash and pat dry the rose petals completely before making Gulkand. Water if available could reduce the shelf life of the Gulkand.
• Fresh rose petal is what we need to make a Perfect Gulkand. The rose petals when crushed or chopped would help the delightful aroma of the rose petals get incorporated well into the Honey. So, say 'NO' to dried rose petals.

In addition to its medicinal purpose, Gulkand can be used widely for Culinary purposes which include making Paans, decorating cakes, making Gulabi based milkshakes, and myriad desserts with Gulabi flavour could be possible if the innovation mode is on.

Explore:
Gulkand Red Rice Paniyaram recipe


Gulkand stores well in the cool place for more than 6 months if preserved properly. This Gulkand recipe is not only yummy but also a highly energetic blend of powerful ingredients. As we sun-cook the rose petal jam, this would be a super yummy and ultra-healthy fireless recipe.


⌚Preparation Time: 10 to 15 minutes
⌚Cooking Time: 0 minutes
🍴Yields: 180 g (approx)

Gulkand (with Honey) | Rose Petal Jam

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An energetic blend of  Edible rose petals (Rosa Damascena) and Honey. A Sun-cooked preserve of rose petals in Honey which serves as an Ayurvedic Medicine for many known years.

What to Use?[1 cup= 250 ml]

• Edible Rose Petals - 1 cup
• Honey - 1/2 cup
• Chopped nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios) - 1/4 cup (optional)

Steps Involved: 

• Pluck and segregate the rose petals from the edible roses.
• Wash the rose petals twice or thrice with enough water.
• Dry the washed rose petals in a clean cloth.
• Chop the rose petals using chopper, cutter or mixer.
• Mix Honey to the chopped rose petals.
• Add in the chopped nuts (if adding).
• Mix all the ingredients well to combine.
• Keep the Gulkand under the Sunlight for 7 days. Stir each day before you expose the rose petal jam to the Sun.
• After 7 days of exposure to Sun, the Gulkand would be ready to consume.

Visual Treat: 

 Video link for "Rose Petal Jam" post: 

https://youtu.be/67A5v5z_eDY

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For comforting the easy understandability of the recipe, the step by step detailed procedure along with the picture is shown below:

Step-by-Step Procedure with Pictures

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How to Make?

• Pluck and segregate the rose petals carefully from the edible roses.

• The rose petals are then washed twice or thrice in a freshwater.

• The washed rose petals then should get dried in a clean cloth. You could use some cotton cloth or tissues to wipe the water from the fresh rose petals. There should not be any water present in the rose petals before making Gulkand.

• The rose petals are then chopped using a chopper. The rose petals need to get crushed to better release the sweet flavour of the rose petals. So, the rose petals could be chopped, crushed or even ground in a mixer to get a perfect Gulkand. I use chopper here. You could use a cutter or mixer for this purpose. Keep in mind not to grind the rose petals completely. It should just get crushed or chopped.

• Add the organic honey to the rose petals. Make sure the honey you use is Organic. I use Marthandam Honey for making this recipe.

• Mix the Honey well with the rose petals. You can feel the chopped rose petals getting soaked in the Honey.

• Now, add in the chopped nuts. I add cashews, almonds and more pistachios here. Though this step is optional, the nuts when soaked in the Honey will add awesome taste and healthiness to the Gulkand. 

• Mix the chopped nuts with the Gulkand and it is almost done!

• Keep the prepared Honey Gulkand under the sunlight which needs to be exposed to the sun for at least 7 days. Stir Gulkand each day before you keep under the Sun rays.

• After 7 days of exposure, the Gulkand is completely ready with loads of health goodness in it.

Instant Gulkand:

• Place the prepared Gulkand over the burner and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. If using Honey, direct heat should be avoided as the nutrients would get lost. So, just stir under low flame and turn off as soon as possible.

• The Instant version of Gulkand is ready! This is an easy method but you need to sacrifice some good nutrients by pursuing this method.

Visual Treat:

Enjoy the 'Homemade Gulkand' video:

 Tips:

• Washed rose petals should be dried well before preparing Gulkand.
• Gulkand preserved by exposing to sunlight has more nutrients preserved within it.
• Consuming a spoonful of Gulkand every day would make the body metabolism fit and healthy.

Super-Yummy, Ultra-Healthy, Sun-Cooked Rose petal Jam!