Preserves Jars in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide

Using crops to craft artisan goods is one of the most lucrative strategies for generating income in Stardew Valley. While it's typically at higher levels that players set up extensive systems for producing Jelly, Wine, and other high-value products, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, making them an excellent option for beginners looking to boost their earnings.

Preserves Jars offer a multitude of uses, allowing players to transform a variety of fruits, vegetables, and foraged items into valuable artisan goods. These jars are key to maximizing profits from your harvests and are vital for making Fish Ponds profitable. Here's a comprehensive guide on how Preserves Jars function and their role in Stardew Valley.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has expanded the utility of Preserves Jars by introducing the ability to pickle a wide array of foraged items. From common Dandelions to rare Purple Mushrooms, these items can now be processed to increase their value. This guide has been revised to include the latest information on utilizing Preserves Jars for these new items.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

To craft a Preserves Jar, you'll need to reach Farming Level 4. The recipe requires:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are readily available, making Preserves Jars an attractive choice for quickly generating artisan goods. Wood comes from chopping trees, Stone from breaking rocks, and Coal from mining or defeating dust sprites in the Mines.

In addition to crafting, you can obtain a Preserves Jar by completing the Quality Crops Bundle or the Rare Crops Bundle (if remixed) at the Community Center. They may also occasionally be awarded from the Prize Machine in Mayor Lewis' house.

What Are Preserves Jars Used For In Stardew Valley?

Preserves Jars can process a range of items into artisan goods, each with its own sell price and processing time. If you choose the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10, the value of these goods increases by 40%.

Item	Product	Sell Price	Health/Energy	Processing Time
Fruit	Jelly	2x (base fruit value) + 50	For edible fruit: - 2x base fruit energy - 2x base fruit health For inedible fruit (e.g., Coconut): - Health: 0.5x base fruit value - Energy: 0.225 base fruit value	2-3 in-game days
Vegetable, Mushroom, or Forage	Pickles	2 x (base item value) + 50	For edible items: - 1.75x base item energy - 1.75x base item health For inedible items (e.g., Pumpkin): - Energy: 0.625x base item value - Health: 0.28125 base item value	2-3 in-game days
Sturgeon Roe	Caviar	500g	- 175 Energy - 78 Health	4 in-game days
Any Other Fish Roe	Aged Roe	60 + (base fish price)	- 100 Energy - 45 Health	2-3 in-game days

Only Mushrooms and Forage items that provide positive energy when consumed, such as Chanterelles or Winter Roots, can be placed in a Preserves Jar. Poisonous items like Red Mushrooms and Holly cannot be pickled.

The sell prices are based on the base value of the item, not considering quality. Therefore, using lower-quality produce in Preserves Jars can maximize profit margins.

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

Preserves Jars are often compared to Kegs, as both transform fruits and vegetables into artisan goods. Preserves Jars are most profitable with fruits under 50g and vegetables/forage items under 160g in base value. They also process goods faster than Kegs. Ideal crops for Jelly and Pickles include high-yield, low-value items like Eggplants, wild berries, Corn, and Tomatoes.

Preserves Jars are essential for processing Fish Roe into artisan goods, making them indispensable for Fish Pond setups. Mushrooms, which cannot be processed in Kegs, also benefit from the Preserves Jar, typically offering a better profit margin than the Dehydrator.