The Best Crops for Kegs, Preserve Jars, and Dehydrators in Stardew Valley (2025 Guide)
Turning your harvests into artisan goods is one of the most satisfying and profitable parts of Stardew Valley. With Kegs, Preserve Jars, and Dehydrators, you can transform ordinary crops into high-value wines, jams, juices, and dried snacks.
In this guide, we’ll cover the best crops for each artisan machine, profit tips, and how to make the most out of every growing season.
Best Crops for Kegs in Stardew Valley
Kegs are perfect for maximizing profits by turning fruits and vegetables into wine or juice. Wines sell for 3x the base fruit value, while juices sell for 2.25x the base vegetable value.
Top Keg Crops:
Starfruit – The most profitable wine in the game, especially with the Artisan Profession.
Ancient Fruit – Grows weekly once matured and offers consistent income.
Melons – Great for juice, available in summer, and easy to mass-produce.
Pineapples – Found on Ginger Island, these regrow and yield high profits over time.
Rhubarb – A solid early-game keg crop available from the Oasis.
Pro Tip: Age your wines in Casks to reach Iridium quality for maximum profit. A fully aged Starfruit Wine can sell for over 6,000g each.
Best Crops for Preserve Jars
Preserve Jars work differently. They add a flat 50g + 2× crop base value to every product. This means fast-growing or lower-value crops often perform best.
Top Preserve Jar Crops:
Blueberries – Constant summer harvests make jam production endless.
Cranberries – Fall’s best repeat crop; perfect for mass jam batches.
Hot Peppers – Quick to grow and easy to stockpile.
Tomatoes – Regrow quickly and offer consistent profits.
Pumpkins – High base value = high pickle profits for fall.
Pro Tip: Fill a shed full of Preserve Jars to maintain a steady flow of jam or pickles, it’s one of the best passive money makers in the game.
Best Crops for Dehydrators (Stardew Valley 1.6 Update)
The new Dehydrator adds a fresh way to create snacks and sellable items. It dries fruits, veggies, and mushrooms into goods that last longer and often sell for more.
Top Dehydrator Crops:
Mangoes & Bananas – Premium tropical fruits that dry into high-value treats.
Tomatoes – Dry fast and are great for bulk processing.
Hot Peppers – Excellent for frequent harvests and quick drying cycles.
Wild Mushrooms – Easy to gather and surprisingly profitable when dried.
Tea Leaves – Dry into a consistent income source and fit the cozy aesthetic perfectly.
Pro Tip: Keep dried goods on hand for dungeon runs, they restore energy and health while saving backpack space.
Profit Comparison
Kegs are the highest overall for profit, best for late income, and Starfruits, Ancient Fruits, and Melons are best used for kegs.
Preserve jars are great for steady profit, best for early game income, and Blueberries, Cranberries, and Hot peppers are best used for preserve jars.
Dehydrators are a balanced way of profit, best for early/ mid-game income, and Mangoes, Bananas, and Mushrooms.
Advanced Tips for Maximum Profit
Upgrade to Artisan Profession – +40% bonus on all artisan goods.
Use Quality Fertilizer – Higher base crop quality = better processed value.
Automate with Sheds – Organize Kegs, Jars, and Dehydrators in separate sheds for easy processing.
Plant Regrowers – Crops like Blueberries, Cranberries, and Ancient Fruit save replanting time.
Use Speed-Gro – Faster crop cycles mean more harvests per season.
Final Thoughts
The key to Stardew Valley success is balancing your artisan setup. Use Kegs for high-value crops like Starfruit and Ancient Fruit, Preserve Jars for fast growers like Blueberries and Peppers, and Dehydrators for flexible profits and practical snacks.
With a little planning, you’ll turn your cozy farm into a thriving artisan empire, one jar of jam at a time.