Stardew Valley: Guide to Preserves Jars Essentials

Using one's crops to craft artisan goods is one of the most lucrative strategies for earning money in Stardew Valley. While it's often at higher levels that players create expansive setups for producing Jelly and Wine, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, allowing even low-level players to boost their earnings significantly.

Preserves Jars offer a variety of uses and enable the creation of diverse artisan goods. By crafting Preserves Jars, players can increase their profits from fruits and vegetables, making them essential for maximizing the potential of Fish Ponds. Here's a comprehensive guide on how Preserves Jars work in Stardew Valley.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley's 1.6 update introduced an exciting feature for farmers: the ability to pickle many new items! From the humble Dandelion to the rare and valuable Purple Mushroom, a wide range of foraged items can now be pickled in a Preserves Jar to enhance their value. This guide has been updated to cover everything you need to know about utilizing this essential farm item in new ways.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

To craft a Preserves Jar, players must reach Farming Level 4, at which point the recipe becomes available. The materials required for crafting are:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are easy to obtain, making Preserves Jars an excellent option for players aiming to produce a high volume of artisan goods quickly. Wood can be harvested by chopping down trees, Stone by breaking rocks with a pickaxe, and Coal is most efficiently farmed 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 if using the remixed option) in the Community Center. They may also be available from the Prize Machine in Mayor Lewis' house.

What Are Preserves Jars Used For In Stardew Valley?

Preserves Jars can transform various items into different types of artisan goods. If players select the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10, the sale price of each item below 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: 0.225x 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: 0.28125x 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 eaten, such as Chanterelle or Winter Root, can be placed in a Preserves Jar. Poisonous items like Red Mushroom and Holly, which subtract energy when consumed, cannot be pickled.

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

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

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

Preserves Jars are the only method for increasing the value of Fish Roe, making them essential for any Fish Pond setup. This allows players to capitalize on their fishing skills effectively. Mushrooms, which cannot be processed in Kegs, can only have their value increased through Preserves Jars or Dehydrators, with Preserves Jars typically offering a higher profit margin.