Recipes
Curate shareable lists of packages — mods, resource packs, shaders, and more — and apply them to instances.
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What Is a Recipe?
A recipe is a user-curated list of package references — mods, resource packs, shader packs, data packs, or worlds — saved under a name, with optional tags and a note on each item. Think of it as a wishlist or a preset package list: a named set of packages you can apply to an instance and share as a file.
A recipe holds references only (pref:// URIs). It contains no mod files, no configuration, and no Minecraft version or loader — that is exactly what makes it different from a modpack.
Applying a recipe creates a recipe group in the instance. It uses the same package grouping mechanism as modpack groups and collections, including priority and duplicate-package handling. The recipe in your library and the group of entries in an instance are distinct: editing the recipe does not automatically synchronize previously applied groups.
Recipes vs. Modpacks
| Recipe | Modpack | |
|---|---|---|
| Contains | Package references + tags/notes | Minecraft version, loader, packages, config files |
| Applies to | An instance you're setting up — adds its packages | Creates or updates a whole instance |
| File | Lightweight JSON | A .zip / .mrpack archive |
Applying a recipe does not change the instance's Minecraft version or loader. Its project references resolve available package versions when you apply it. Unlike an in-place collection, the recipe also exists independently of any one instance.
Creating a Recipe
- Open Recipes from the app menu or the toolbar button.
- Click New and give the recipe a name and an optional description.
- Open the recipe to start adding packages.
Adding Packages
- Open the recipe and click Add — this opens the package explorer.
- Browse CurseForge and Modrinth and add projects to the recipe.
- Each item can carry tags (for organization) and a note (for anything worth remembering).
- Use the search box and the kind filter to navigate larger recipes.
Projects you've already added show an In Recipe marker when you browse them elsewhere.
Applying a Recipe to an Instance
Open an existing instance's Setup page. Open the menu under Get More and choose Import from recipe, then pick a recipe. Polymerium resolves each reference through the repositories and adds entries under that recipe group. References it cannot resolve are added as disabled entries for you to review. Click the group header to expand or collapse it; choose View Details from its menu to open the recipe.
A project already present in another group can also appear in the recipe group. Both entries remain in the profile; group priority decides which is deployed. Review the order after applying a recipe, especially when it overlaps with another recipe or collection.
To create a recipe from an existing collection, or keep an applied recipe group as a local collection, see Convert to or from a Recipe. Exporting a Trident modpack represents local recipe groups as collections because the local recipe library does not travel with a modpack.
Sharing Recipes
- Export a recipe to a JSON file — from the Recipes list or the recipe page.
- Import a recipe from a JSON file on the Recipes page.
- The file stores each item as a package reference together with its tags and note.
Deleting a Recipe
A recipe that instances still reference can't be deleted. Polymerium lists those instances. In each instance's Setup page, Demote to Collection keeps the entries grouped without the recipe association; Disband Group makes them loose, and Remove Group deletes them from the profile. Once no instance references the recipe, delete it from the Recipes library.
Recipes and Version Control
Recipe files are versioned JSON documents, so they diff cleanly in version control — useful when you keep a recipe file in a git repository and share it with a team. See the Git Collaboration → guide.