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% price boost. However, their crafting requirements, production times, and resulting profits differ.
Kegs: Produce higher-value goods like wine, beer, and juice. Wine, for example, yields significantly more profit than jelly from the same fruit. Alcoholic beverages can be aged in casks for further profit increases.
- Pros: Higher profit potential, especially with cask aging.
- Cons: More expensive to craft, requiring metal bars and oak resin. Longer processing times.
Preserves Jars: Produce jellies, pickles, aged roe, and caviar. They are a good early-game option due to their lower crafting cost.
- Pros: Inexpensive and easy to craft, quick processing times. Ideal for low-value, high-yield crops. Can process items Kegs cannot (like roe).
- Cons: Lower profit margins per item compared to Kegs.
Which is better?
It depends on your farm's stage and goals. Preserves Jars are excellent early-game for quick profits. As you progress, Kegs become more profitable, especially with cask aging, but require a greater initial investment. The optimal strategy often involves using both: Preserves Jars for quick returns on low-value crops and Kegs for maximizing profits from higher-value produce and unique items. Consider the base price of your produce: for fruits under 50g and vegetables under 200g, Preserves Jars often offer better returns due to faster production.
Item List:
This table summarizes the items that can be processed in each container and their base sell prices. Note that item quality doesn't affect artisan good value.
Preserves Jars:
| Item Placed in Jar | Product | Base Sell Price |
|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | [fruit name] Jelly | 2 x [base fruit price] + 50 |
| Any vegetable | Pickled [item name] | 2 x [base item price] + 50 |
| Morel, Chanterelle, etc. | Pickled [item name] | 2 x [base item price] + 50 |
| Cave Carrot, Leek, etc. | 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) | [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 factor in crafting costs and processing times when making your decisions. A balanced approach using both Kegs and Preserves Jars will likely yield the best overall results.
