Using crops to craft artisan goods is one of the most lucrative strategies for earning money in Stardew Valley. While advanced players often set up extensive facilities to produce Jelly and Wine, Preserves Jars are accessible early in the game, allowing even novice players to significantly boost their earnings.

Preserves Jars offer a variety of artisan goods that players can produce. By crafting these jars, players can enhance their profits from fruits and vegetables, and they play a crucial role in making Fish Ponds profitable. Here's a comprehensive overview of how Preserves Jars function in Stardew Valley.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: The 1.6 update introduced an exciting new feature for farmers: the ability to pickle a wide range of foraged items, from the common Dandelion to the rare Purple Mushroom. This update enhances the utility of Preserves Jars for foragers and artisan good enthusiasts. This guide has been revised to reflect these new opportunities.

Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley

Players unlock the recipe for Preserves Jars upon reaching Farming Level 4. To craft one, you'll need the following materials:

• 50 Wood
• 40 Stone
• 8 Coal

These materials are readily available, making Preserves Jars an excellent choice for players aiming to produce artisan goods quickly. Wood can be obtained by chopping 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 receive a Preserves Jar upon completing the Quality Crops Bundle (or Rare Crops Bundle if remixed) at the Community Center. They may also be obtainable from the Prize Machine in Mayor Lewis' house.

What Are Preserves Jars Used For In Stardew Valley?

Preserves Jars can process a variety of items into artisan goods, each with different properties and sell prices. If players opt for 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 Chanterelle or Winter Root, can be placed in a Preserves Jar. Items like Red Mushroom and Holly, which are poisonous and subtract energy, cannot be pickled.

The sell price of the resulting artisan goods is calculated based on the base value of the item used, without considering item quality. Therefore, using lower-quality produce in Preserves Jars maximizes profit margins.

Preserves Jars or Kegs?

Players often weigh the benefits of using Preserves Jars against Kegs, both of which transform fruits and vegetables into artisan goods. Preserves Jars are more profitable for fruits with a base value under 50g and vegetables/forage items under 160g due to their pricing formulas. They also process items faster than Kegs. High-yield crops with low base values, such as Eggplants, wild foraged berries, Corn, and Tomatoes, are ideal for Jelly and Pickles.

Preserves Jars are the only means of processing Fish Roe into artisan goods, making them essential for Fish Pond setups and enhancing the profitability of fishing. Additionally, while Mushrooms cannot be used in Kegs, they can be processed in Preserves Jars or Dehydrators, with Preserves Jars generally offering a higher profit margin.