Using one’s crops to craft artisan goods is one of thebest ways to earn moneyinStardew Valley.Though it’s often at higher levels that players create massive setups for churning outJellyandWine,Preserves Jarsbecome available quite early on in the game, and low-level players can use them to great advantage.
There’s plenty that players can do with Preserves Jars, and a variety of different artisan goods that they can produce. Crafting Preserves Jars can help players increase their profits from fruits and vegetables, and are important to making Fish Ponds worthwhile. Here’s everythingStardew Valleyplayers need to know about how they work.
Updated July 25, 2025, by Demaris Oxman:Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update brought an exciting new feature for farmers: many new items can be pickled! The majority of foraged items, from the humbleDandelionto the rare and valuablePurple Mushroom, can be placed in a Preserves Jar to increase 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 use this staple item on the farm.
Where To Get Preserves Jars In Stardew Valley
The recipe for Preserves Jar is received at Farming Level 4, and requires the following materials:
All of these materials are relatively easy to find, which is one reason that the Preserves Jar is a great choice for players looking to make a large amount of artisan goods in a short time. Wood is found by chopping down trees; Stone is found by breaking rocks with the pickaxe. Coal can also be found by this latter method, but is best farmed by killing dust sprites in the Mines.
In addition to crafting them, players will receive one Preserves Jar as a reward for completing the Quality Crops Bundle (or Rare Crops Bundle if they are 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?
The following items can be placed in a Preserves Jar, each of which results in a different type of artisan good. If the playerchooses the Artisan professionat Farming Level 10, the sale price of each item listed below increases by 40%.
2x (base fruit value) + 50
2-3 in-game days
Vegetable, Mushroom, or Forage
2 x (base item value) + 50
500g
4 in-game days
60 + (base fish price)
The only Mushrooms and Forage items that can be placed in a Preserves Jar are those that provide a positive energy value when eaten; for example, Chanterelle or Winter Root. Items like Red Mushroom and Holly, which are poisonous and subtract energy when eaten, cannot be pickled.
The prices are calculated from the base value of the item placed in the jar; this equation does not consider item quality. That is, a Jelly produced from a gold-quality Apricot will have the same value as one produced from a normal-quality Apricot. As such, it is advised that players use theirlowest-quality produce in their Preserves Jarsto ensure maximum profit increase.
Preserves Jars or Kegs?
Preserves Jarsare often compared to Kegs, as both can be used to make artisan goods out of fruits and vegetables. Because of the formulas used to calculate sell prices, Preserves Jars are most profitable when usingfruits whose base value is under 50g, and vegetables/forage items whose base value is under 160g.It is also worth noting that Preserves Jars process artisan goods much faster than Kegs. The best crops to make into Jelly and Pickles are usually high-yield items with low base value, such as Eggplants, wild foraged berries, Corn, and Tomatoes.
Preserves Jars are also the only way of making artisan goods (and therefore increasing the value) of Fish Roe. As such, it’sessential to any Fish Pond setup, and is a great way to make the player’s fishing skill pay off. Similarly, Mushrooms cannot be placed in Kegs. The Preserves Jar and Dehydrator are the only ways to increase their value, and between them, the Preserves Jar typically offers a greater profit margin.
