Stardew Valley: Preserves Jar Vs Kegs
- By Claire
- Jan 31,2025
This Stardew Valley guide compares Kegs and Preserves Jars, two crucial tools for transforming crops into valuable artisan goods. Both increase profits significantly, especially with the Artisan profession's 40% sell price boost. However, their crafting costs, production times, and resulting products differ significantly.
Kegs:
- Pros: Generally yield higher profit margins. Alcoholic products (wine, beer, etc.) can be aged in casks for further profit increases.
- Cons: More expensive to craft, requiring metal bars and oak resin. Slower production time than Preserves Jars. Requires the final farmhouse upgrade (100,000g) to fully utilize cask aging.
Preserves Jars:
- Pros: Cheap and easy to craft using readily available materials. Faster production time, making them ideal for early-game profits and high-yield, low-value crops (e.g., blueberries). Can process items Kegs cannot (roe).
- Cons: Yield lower profits per item compared to Kegs.
Which is Better?
The optimal choice depends on your farm's stage and goals.
- Early Game: Preserves Jars are superior due to their low crafting cost and quick turnaround.
- Late Game: Kegs become more attractive due to their higher profit potential, especially when combined with cask aging.
Optimal Strategy: Using both Kegs and Preserves Jars maximizes profit. Prioritize Kegs for high-value fruits and those suitable for cask aging. Use Preserves Jars for low-value, high-yield crops and items Kegs can't process. The 1.6 update expanded the usable items in both, adding foraging options like leeks and winter roots.
Item Comparison Tables:
Preserves Jars:
| Item Placed In Jar | Product | Base Sell Price |
|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | [fruit name] Jelly | 2 x [base fruit price] + 50 |
| Any vegetable, mushroom (positive energy), forage (positive energy) | Pickled [item name] | 2 x [base item price] + 50 |
| Roe (except Sturgeon) | Aged [fish name] Roe | 2 x [roe price] |
| Sturgeon roe | Caviar | 2 x [roe price] |
Kegs:
| Item Placed In Keg | Product | Base Sell Price |
|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | [fruit name] Wine | 3 x [base fruit price] |
| Any vegetable (except hops/wheat), forage (positive energy, except mushrooms) | [item name] Juice | 2.25 x [base item price] |
| Hops | Pale Ale | 300g |
| Wheat | Beer | 200g |
| Honey | Mead | 200g |
| Tea Leaves | Green Tea | 100g |
| Coffee Beans (5) | Coffee | 150g |
| Rice | Vinegar | 100g |
Remember to consider processing time and the Artisan profession for maximum efficiency.
