Food is Medicine
These are not recipes in the conventional sense. They are clinical formulas Aajonus Vonderplanitz developed and prescribed across four decades, organized around specific physiological work the body needs to do: digestion, lymphatic drainage, neurological repair, daily nourishment.
Most take less than a minute to prepare. Most call for a jar, a blender, and four or five raw ingredients. Few will look familiar if you have spent your life cooking.
The rail at left holds all 163 recipes grouped into 18 categories. Click a category to expand its list.
Seven foundational recipes sit pinned at the top of the rail. Begin there if you are new to the Primal repertoire.
The search field at the top of the rail filters every recipe by name as you type.
Necessary Equipment
- One blender. Aajonus's preference was an Osterizer.
- One juicer. Aajonus preferred a Green Star or Green Life, because it is a closed-case crush press. It has the lowest electromagnetic field produced by efficient juicers. He did not use centrifugal juicers because they use air to press the juice from the pulp, oxidizing and damaging up to 30 percent of the nutrients in the juice.
- One 1-quart food processor.
- One dozen each of the 12- and 16-ounce regular-sized-mouth glass jars. Aajonus's preferred brand was Ball with enameled lids.
- Two dozen each of the 4- and 8-ounce regular-sized-mouth glass jars, again Ball with enameled lids. If more than one person lives in the household, many more jars, especially the 8-ounce, will be needed.
- Extra enameled regular-sized jar lids to replace rusty lids.
- A hand-crank ice cream maker, such as the Donvier brand. The hand-crank is best because making ice cream takes approximately 30 minutes. When a motor-driven ice cream maker is used, the high electromagnetic field alters the molecular structure of the food, making it less nutritious and possibly harmful.
- A hand pepper grinder.
Blenderizing the Easy Way
Blending can be done with many tools, such as a kitchen utensil, food processor, mixer, or blender. Aajonus used the word "blenderize" specifically to mean a blender. To follow most of the recipes, a blender that accommodates glass jars is needed, because most of the recipes use small quantities of food. Blenderizing in a common blender bowl sucks oxygen into the bowl and food, oxidizing and damaging approximately 30 percent of nutrients. It is healthiest and easiest to use the washer, blender blades, and base of a blender that fits regular-sized-mouth glass jars. As of Aajonus's writing, all Osterizer models except the Classic fit those jars.
Simply remove the base, washer, and blades from the blender's bowl and store the bowl. Obtain regular-sized-mouth glass jars in the following sizes: 4-ounce, 8-ounce, 12-ounce, and 16-ounce.
Sometimes the washer that comes with the blender is too thin and will not seal properly. The washer should be at least 1/16th-inch thick, but preferably up to 3/32nds-inch thick. Alternative washers of another brand may be obtained at most small appliance and hardware stores. Two washers should not be used together, as one too often gets caught in the blades.
Place the washer on the rim of the jar, then pass the blades inside the jar and rest the plate on top of the washer. The washer and blade plate should sit somewhat flush with the jar's rim, and then the base is screwed on firmly. Turn the jar upside down on the blender and start blenderizing.
Of the thousands of people who have used the blender blades with glass jars millions of times, Aajonus received only one report that a jar broke while blending. The washer had gotten caught in the blades and caused the jar to burst, and the man's palm suffered a cut; Aajonus suspected the jar was cracked beforehand. Over 25 years he had the washer catch on the blades approximately 25 times, and the glass never broke. Take your time and be patient. If the washer gets caught in the blades, an unusually deep drone occurs, and most often the ingredients spew from the base of the jar without bursting. Turn off the blender immediately if it sounds strange. Unscrew the base and inspect the washer to confirm it is properly placed. If the washer is too slippery to remain in place, wipe the rim of the jar, then rinse and dry the washer before reapplying it.
Blenderizing Recipes That Include Butter
Blender blades are made of cold metal that will cause butter to chill and stiffen, which often causes the ingredients to freeze up and not blenderize. When blenderizing a recipe with butter that needs to be melted, it is best to cap the jar with the blender washer, blades, and base before immersing it in mildly hot water. That way, the blades will heat along with the ingredients and blenderizing will be easy.