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Stardew's Profits: Preserves vs. Kegs

Author : Connor

Jan 18,2025

This Stardew Valley guide compares Kegs and Preserves Jars, two crucial tools for transforming crops into valuable artisan goods. While both boost profits, especially with the Artisan profession's 40% sell price increase, they differ significantly in cost, production time, and the types of goods they create.

Keg

Kegs and Preserves Jars: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Both Kegs and Preserves Jars are essential for maximizing profits from your harvest. Importantly, input item quality doesn't affect output quality or selling price. Use your lowest-quality produce for optimal efficiency.

Preserves Jars:

Produce: Jellies, Pickles, Aged Roe, and Caviar. Obtained via Community Center bundles, Prize Machine, or crafted at Farming Level 4 (50 Wood, 40 Stone, 8 Coal).

Item 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:

Produce: Wine, Beer, Pale Ale, Coffee, Juice, Green Tea, Vinegar, and Mead. Obtained via Artisan or Brewer's Bundles, Prize Machine, or crafted at Farming Level 8 (30 Wood, 1 Copper Bar, 1 Iron Bar, 1 Oak Resin).

Item 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]
Any Forage (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

Kegs vs. Preserves Jars: The Verdict

Kegs: Higher profit potential (especially with Cask aging for Iridium quality), but more expensive and time-consuming to craft and use. Wine significantly outperforms Jelly for most fruits.
Preserves Jars: Cheaper and faster, ideal for early game or low-value, high-yield crops (e.g., Blueberries). Useful for items Kegs can't process (Roe).

The best approach often involves using both. Prioritize Kegs for high-value produce and Preserves Jars for quick returns on smaller, abundant crops. Consider the 1.6 update additions to both – Leeks, Spring Onions, Hazelnuts, and Winter Roots are now viable options. Remember to upgrade your farmhouse for cask aging to further maximize Keg profits.