Stardew Valley: Everything You Need To Know About Preserves Jars

Using one's crops to craft artisan goods is one of the most effective ways to boost your earnings in Stardew Valley. While players often set up large-scale operations for producing Jelly and Wine at higher levels, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, making them a valuable asset even for beginners.

Preserves Jars offer a variety of uses and can produce different artisan goods, significantly increasing the profits from fruits and vegetables. They are also crucial for making Fish Ponds profitable. Here's everything you need to know about how they work and how to maximize their potential.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley's 1.6 update introduced an exciting new feature for farmers: the ability to pickle many new items! From the humble Dandelion to the rare and valuable Purple Mushroom, these foraged items can now be placed in a Preserves Jar to boost their value. This guide has been updated to include all the new ways to use this essential farm item.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

To craft a Preserves Jar, players need to reach Farming Level 4, where they will unlock the recipe. The materials required are:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are easy to gather, making Preserves Jars an ideal choice for quickly producing a large quantity of artisan goods. Wood can be obtained by chopping down trees, Stone by breaking rocks with a pickaxe, and Coal can be farmed efficiently 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) at the Community Center. They might also find them in the Prize Machine at Mayor Lewis' house.

What Are Preserves Jars Used For In Stardew Valley?

Preserves Jars can transform various items into different artisan goods, each with its own benefits and processing times. If a player selects the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10, the sale price of the resulting products 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 a positive energy value when eaten, such as Chanterelle or Winter Root, can be placed in a Preserves Jar. Poisonous items like Red Mushroom and Holly cannot be pickled.

The prices are based on the base value of the item placed in the jar, not considering item quality. Therefore, using lower-quality produce in Preserves Jars can maximize profit margins. For example, a Jelly made from a gold-quality Apricot will have the same value as one made from a normal-quality Apricot.

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

When deciding between Preserves Jars and Kegs, consider that Preserves Jars are more profitable for fruits with a base value under 50g and vegetables/forage items under 160g. They also process goods much faster than Kegs. High-yield crops with low base values, such as Eggplants, wild foraged berries, Corn, and Tomatoes, are ideal for turning into Jelly and Pickles.

Preserves Jars are also essential for increasing the value of Fish Roe, making them a key component of any Fish Pond setup. Mushrooms, which cannot be placed in Kegs, can only have their value increased through Preserves Jars or Dehydrators, with Preserves Jars typically offering a better profit margin.