How to Add a Recipe to Public Domain Recipes

Public Domain Recipes accepts user-submitted recipes through its own site, and the site's homepage lists "How to add a recipe" as a dedicated section — so the path to contributing exists directly on the page rather than through email or a separate form. To add a recipe, you go to that section on publicdomainrecipes.com and follow the submission process it describes. The site is organized around browsing by category and by "Newest Recipes," which tells you where a submitted recipe will eventually appear once it's live.

What the site shows about adding recipes

The homepage of publicdomainrecipes.com is built around a few clear blocks:

• "What do you want to cook?" — a search field with Backspace and Random controls, used to find existing recipes.
• "Newest Recipes" — a running list of recently added dishes, from Desert roses and Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls to Croque-monsieur bites.
• "Or Browse by Category..." — category-based navigation.
• "About this site" — background on what the site is.
• "How to add a recipe" — the section that covers contributing your own recipe.

Because "How to add a recipe" appears as a top-level heading on the homepage, the intended workflow is: open the site, find that section, and use the instructions there. The exact fields and button labels aren't spelled out in the page evidence available, so treat the on-page section as the authoritative source for the current steps rather than a third-party description.

What you'll typically need to prepare

A recipe submission on a site like this generally needs the same core pieces, and you can assemble them before you start:

• Recipe name — the dish title, matching the style of existing entries (for example, "Turkish Red Lentil Soup" or "Valencian Paella").
• Ingredients — quantities and units for each item.
• Steps — the ordered method, from prep to finish.
• Category — the site browses by category, so pick the one that fits (soups, desserts, breads, and so on).
• Any notes — yield, prep/cook time, or substitutions, if the form allows them.

Having these written out first makes the submission faster and reduces the chance of losing your work if the form times out.

The copyright requirement is the key condition

The site's name is the point: it's a collection of public domain recipes. That means the recipe you submit should be in the public domain — not copied from a copyrighted cookbook, a paywalled recipe site, or a modern source whose text and instructions are protected.

A practical way to think about it:

Ingredient lists themselves are generally not protectable, but the written directions and description are. If you're reworking a modern recipe, rewrite the method in your own words rather than pasting it.

After you submit

The homepage's "Newest Recipes" list is the visible signal of what's been published — new entries appear at the top of that feed. If your recipe is accepted, expect it to show up there and under its category. The page evidence doesn't describe a formal review timeline or moderation queue, so if you don't see your recipe appear, the practical next step is to revisit the "How to add a recipe" section to confirm you completed every required field and met the public domain condition.

Common snags to avoid

• Submitting copyrighted text. This is the most likely reason a recipe would be rejected on a public domain site. Rewrite in your own words.
• Skipping the category. Since the site is browsable by category, an uncategorized recipe is harder to surface.
• Vague quantities. Existing entries use specific measures; match that level of detail.
• Assuming instant publication. The "Newest Recipes" feed shows what's live, but the page doesn't promise immediate posting.

If you want to confirm the current submission steps, fields, and any review process, open publicdomainrecipes.com and read the "How to add a recipe" section directly — that's the only place the site's own instructions live.