Home > News > Stardew Valley: Preserve or Keg, Which is Better?

Stardew Valley: Preserve or Keg, Which is Better?

Author : David

Jan 10,2025

This guide explores the advantages and disadvantages of Kegs and Preserves Jars in Stardew Valley, helping you decide which is best for maximizing profits from your crops. Both are crucial for crafting valuable artisan goods, especially with the Artisan profession's 40% price boost. However, the 1.6 update expanded the usable ingredients, including various foraged items for juice and pickles.

Kegs and Preserves Jars: A Comparison

Kegs

Both Kegs and Preserves Jars transform produce into higher-value artisan goods. Crucially, input item quality doesn't affect output quality or selling price. Therefore, use your lower-quality produce for these processes.

Preserves Jars

Preserves Jars create Jellies, Pickles, Aged Roe, and Caviar. Obtain them via the Community Center bundles or the Prize Machine. The recipe unlocks 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 price] + 50
Any vegetable	Pickled [item name]	2 x [base price] + 50
Morel, Chanterelle, etc.	Pickled [item name]	2 x [base price] + 50
Cave Carrot, Leek, etc.	Pickled [item name]	2 x [base price] + 50
Roe (except Sturgeon)	Aged [fish name] Roe	2 x [roe price]
Sturgeon Roe	Caviar	2 x [roe price]

Kegs

Kegs produce alcoholic beverages (Wine, Beer, Pale Ale, Mead) plus Coffee, Juice, Green Tea, and Vinegar. Obtain them through the Artisan or Brewer's Bundles, or the Prize Machine. The recipe unlocks 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 price]
Any vegetable (except Hops/Wheat)	[item name] Juice	2.25 x [base 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

Preserves Jars

Kegs generally yield higher profits, particularly with aging in Casks (requires the final farmhouse upgrade). However, they are more expensive and time-consuming to craft and use. Wine, for instance, significantly outperforms Jelly for most fruits.

Preserves Jars are cheaper and faster, making them ideal for early-game profits or high-yield, low-value crops (like Blueberries, where the faster processing time compensates for the lower base profit). They also handle items Kegs cannot, such as Roe.

The optimal strategy involves using both. Prioritize Kegs for high-value items and Preserves Jars for quick returns on lower-value produce and unique ingredients. A balanced approach ensures maximum profit from your farm's output.