Preserves Jars in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide

Using your crops to craft artisan goods is one of the most lucrative ways to earn money in Stardew Valley. While it's typically at higher levels that players set up extensive operations for producing Jelly and Wine, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, allowing even beginners to boost their earnings.

Preserves Jars offer a multitude of uses, enabling players to produce a variety of artisan goods. By crafting these jars, you can significantly increase the profitability of your fruits and vegetables, and they're crucial for maximizing the returns from Fish Ponds. Here's everything Stardew Valley players need to know about how they work.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has 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 can now be transformed in a Preserves Jar to enhance their value. For avid foragers and crafters of artisan goods, this guide has been updated to include everything you need to know about the new ways to utilize this essential farm item.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

To craft a Preserves Jar, you'll need to reach Farming Level 4 to unlock the recipe. The materials required are:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are easy to come by, making the Preserves Jar an excellent choice for players looking to produce artisan goods quickly. Wood can be obtained by chopping down trees, while Stone comes from breaking rocks with your pickaxe. Coal can also be found by this method, but for more efficient farming, target dust sprites in the Mines.

In addition to crafting, you'll receive one Preserves Jar as a reward for completing the Quality Crops Bundle (or the Rare Crops Bundle if remixed) 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 artisan goods, each yielding different products. If you choose the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10, the sale price of these items 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	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

Only Mushrooms and Forage items that provide a positive energy value when eaten, such as Chanterelle or Winter Root, can be pickled. Items like Red Mushroom and Holly, which are poisonous and subtract energy when eaten, cannot be used.

The sell prices are calculated based on the base value of the item placed in the jar, disregarding item quality. Thus, a Jelly made from a gold-quality Apricot will have the same value as one from a normal-quality Apricot. To maximize profits, it's advisable to use your lowest-quality produce in the Preserves Jars.

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

When comparing Preserves Jars to Kegs, both used for crafting artisan goods from fruits and vegetables, consider the following: Preserves Jars are more profitable for fruits with a base value under 50g and vegetables/forage items under 160g. Additionally, Preserves Jars process goods much faster than Kegs. High-yield, low-value crops like Eggplants, wild foraged berries, Corn, and Tomatoes are ideal for making Jelly and Pickles.

Preserves Jars are also the only means of turning Fish Roe into artisan goods, making them essential for any Fish Pond setup. This allows your fishing skills to contribute to your farm's profitability. Similarly, Mushrooms can't be used in Kegs, and while both the Preserves Jar and Dehydrator can increase their value, the Preserves Jar typically offers a higher profit margin.