Preserves Jars in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide

Using crops to craft artisan goods in Stardew Valley is one of the most effective strategies for boosting your in-game earnings. While it's true that players typically build extensive setups for producing Jelly, Wine, and other high-value items at higher levels, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, offering a significant advantage even to beginners.

Preserves Jars open up a world of possibilities for players, allowing them to create a variety of artisan goods. By utilizing these jars, players can significantly enhance their profits from fruits and vegetables, and they are crucial for making Fish Ponds more lucrative. Below, you'll find all the essential information about how Preserves Jars function in Stardew Valley.

Updated on January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley introduced an exciting feature for farmers: the ability to pickle many new items! From common foraged items like Dandelions to the rare and valuable Purple Mushrooms, these can now be transformed in a Preserves Jar to increase their worth. This guide has been updated to reflect the new ways to utilize this essential farm item.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

The recipe for a Preserves Jar becomes available once you reach Farming Level 4. To craft one, you'll need the following materials:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are relatively easy to gather, making the Preserves Jar an excellent option for players looking to produce a large quantity of artisan goods quickly. Wood can be obtained by chopping down trees, while Stone comes from breaking rocks with a pickaxe. Coal can also be found by breaking rocks, but the most efficient way to farm it is by defeating dust sprites in the Mines.

In addition to crafting, players can earn one Preserves Jar by completing the Quality Crops Bundle or the Rare Crops Bundle in the Community Center if using the remixed option. They may also occasionally win one from the Prize Machine at Mayor Lewis' house.

What Are Preserves Jars Used For In Stardew Valley?

Preserves Jars can transform a variety of items into different artisan goods. If you choose the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10, the sale price of these items will increase 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	2x (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

Note that only Mushrooms and Forage items that provide a positive energy value when consumed can be used in Preserves Jars. For instance, Chanterelle and Winter Root are suitable, while poisonous items like Red Mushroom and Holly are not.

The sell prices are determined by the base value of the item placed in the jar, disregarding quality. Therefore, a Jelly made from a gold-quality Apricot will have the same value as one made from a normal-quality Apricot. To maximize profit, it's recommended to use lower-quality produce in the Preserves Jars.

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

Preserves Jars are often compared to Kegs, as both can convert fruits and vegetables into artisan goods. Due to the pricing formulas, Preserves Jars are more profitable for fruits with a base value under 50g and vegetables/forage items under 160g. Additionally, Preserves Jars process items much faster than Kegs. The most profitable crops to turn into Jelly and Pickles are high-yield, low-value items such as Eggplants, wild foraged berries, Corn, and Tomatoes.

Preserves Jars are also unique in that they're the only way to convert Fish Roe into artisan goods, making them essential for any Fish Pond operation and a great way to capitalize on your fishing skills. Mushrooms, which cannot be processed in Kegs, also benefit more from Preserves Jars than Dehydrators in terms of profit margin.