Introduction to Cranberries

The Stardew Valley Cranberries Crop Guide explains how cranberries are a valuable and efficient fruit crop that grows from Cranberry Seeds, which can be purchased from the shop and planted during the fall season. Cranberries are a multiple-harvest crop, meaning that once they are fully grown, they will continue to produce berries after each harvest. The initial growth time for cranberries is 7 days, and once harvested, the plants regenerate and produce fruit every 5 days. This makes cranberries a highly efficient crop, offering the opportunity for repeated harvests without needing to replant, which ensures a steady source of income throughout the fall.

This crop is particularly valuable for maximizing your earnings, as it provides multiple harvests, unlike many other crops that yield a single harvest. The consistent returns from cranberries make them a top choice for players looking to boost their profits. In addition to being profitable, cranberries are versatile in how they can be used. They can be sold for a solid price, used in various recipes like cranberry sauce, or turned into cranberry wine, which has a higher selling value than raw cranberries. Cranberries are also a cherished gift for several villagers, making them a great option for strengthening relationships with your fellow townsfolk.

By following the Stardew Valley Cranberries Crop Guide, players can maximize the crop’s potential, ensuring a successful fall season with a steady income and plenty of opportunities for gifting and cooking. The multiple harvests, combined with their high versatility, make cranberries a crop worth focusing on for both profit and social interactions in the game.

Growing Cranberries

Cranberries are a fall crop in Stardew Valley, and they are grown from cranberry seeds. These seeds take 7 days to mature, after which the plants will produce fruit every 5 days. The growth stages consist of 1 day, 2 days, 1 day, 1 day, and 2 days, totaling 7 days to maturity. Once the plants are mature, they will continue to yield cranberries every 5 days without needing to be replanted.

Cranberry seeds can be purchased from Pierre’s General Store for 240g, or from JojaMart for 300g. They can also be bought from the Traveling Cart for a price ranging between 360g and 1,000g, or from the Night Market on Winter 17 for 240g. Additionally, cranberry seeds can be obtained by using a Seed Maker or may occasionally be found in Skull Caverns treasure rooms, where they can yield between 5 and 20 seeds.

Fertilizers can help boost cranberry growth, though most fertilizers only impact the first berry produced from each harvest. Speed-Gro fertilizers do not affect the time between harvests, but Deluxe Speed-Gro reduces the initial growth time from 7 days to 5.25 days. Deluxe Fertilizer allows for the potential of growing Iridium quality cranberries, though fertilizers generally have a limited effect on multiple-harvest crops like cranberries.

Once mature, each cranberry plant yields two cranberries every 5 days, with a 10% chance of producing extra berries. On average, this results in an additional 0.11 cranberries per harvest, and luck can double the amount of extra berries produced. Cranberries require access to water and prefer sandy or loamy soil. An important note is that the second day of growth may appear similar to a dead crop, but this is normal and does not affect the crop’s development.

Growing cranberries is an excellent way to ensure a steady income in the fall, as their multiple harvests offer continued profits without the need for replanting. By following these steps and taking advantage of the right seeds and fertilizers, players can maximize their cranberry harvests and enjoy the benefits of this versatile crop.

Cranberry Economics

Cranberries are an economically valuable crop in Stardew Valley, offering both consistent income and high profitability when grown and processed correctly. Cranberry seeds can be purchased from various sources, including Pierre’s General Store for 240g, JojaMart for 300g, and the Traveling Cart, where prices range from 360g to 1,000g. Cranberry seeds are also available at the Night Market during Winter 17 for 240g.

The base sell price for a single cranberry is 75g, but this value can increase depending on the player’s chosen professions. If the Tiller profession is selected, the base sell price increases by 10%, raising the price to 82g per cranberry. The Artisan profession, on the other hand, boosts the base sell price by 40%, resulting in a significantly higher price range, from 200g up to 821g per cranberry, depending on the quality of the crop.

Cranberries are considered a long-term winner in terms of profitability because they are a multiple-harvest crop. Each cranberry plant produces fruit every 5 days after reaching maturity, which takes 7 days. A single plant can yield up to 375g per harvest if it produces 5 cranberries. Over the course of a season, cranberries offer a steady income, with a profit of 39g per day based on 5 harvests. While the base sell price is 75g, the profit per day calculation assumes a 130g sell price, factoring in the multiple harvests and their consistent production.

To further boost their profitability, cranberries can be processed. Using a preserves jar to turn cranberries into jelly yields more money per fruit, though it takes longer to process. The preserves jar provides two jars of jelly per cranberry, plus an additional 50g in profit for each jar. Alternatively, using a dehydrator is a faster way to process cranberries, though it yields less money per fruit. The dehydrator increases the sell price to 1.55 times the base price and can process 5 fruits at once, taking only one day. While dehydrators are better for fast cash, preserves jars are a better option for long-term profit, as they provide higher returns over time.

Overall, cranberries may not have the highest single-sale price, but their multiple-harvest nature, along with the ability to process them into higher-value artisan goods, makes them a highly profitable crop in Stardew Valley.

Uses for Cranberries

Cranberries are one of the most versatile crops in Stardew Valley, serving multiple purposes beyond simple profit. They are particularly valuable for gifting, cooking, and crafting, making them a worthwhile crop to grow throughout the fall season. Since cranberries are a multi-harvest crop, farmers can continually reap the benefits of their investment without needing to replant after the initial growth cycle. This makes them an excellent choice for consistent income and resource management.

While they may not have the highest single-sale price among fall crops, their ability to produce fruit every five days after maturity allows for steady profits over time. Additionally, cranberries can be preserved or processed into artisan goods, further increasing their overall value. Their versatility extends beyond monetary gain, as they also serve practical uses in building relationships with villagers and enhancing various in-game activities.

As a gift, cranberries are well-received by several villagers. Demetrius, Elliott, Harvey, Jodi, Kent, Leah, Linus, Pam, Robin, Sandy, and Shane all like receiving cranberries, making them a good option for boosting friendships with these characters. Since many of these villagers have useful professions—such as Harvey, the town doctor, and Robin, the carpenter—strengthening relationships with them can lead to beneficial interactions over time.

Cranberries are considered neutral gifts by a large number of other villagers, including Alex, Caroline, Clint, the Dwarf, Emily, Evelyn, George, Gus, Krobus, Leo, Lewis, Marnie, Maru, Penny, Pierre, Sam, Sebastian, Willy, and the Wizard. While gifting cranberries to these characters will not significantly improve friendships, it also won’t cause any harm, making them a safe choice if a player has an excess supply. However, some villagers dislike cranberries, including Abigail, Haley, Jas, and Vincent, so giving them this fruit could reduce friendship points. Since Haley is particularly hard to please and prefers more refined gifts, giving her cranberries may not be the best approach when trying to increase friendship with her.

In addition to their role in gifting, cranberries are an essential ingredient in several useful recipes, making them a valuable crop to keep on hand for cooking. Cranberry Candy is one such dish, requiring one cranberry, one apple, and one sugar to prepare. This sweet treat restores 125 energy and 56 health, making it a decent option for replenishing stamina, especially during long workdays on the farm. Another beneficial dish is Cranberry Sauce, which is made using one cranberry and one sugar.

While it restores the same amount of energy and health as Cranberry Candy, it also provides a Mining (+2) buff for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, making it a great meal choice before heading into the mines. The extra mining proficiency can help break rocks faster, which is particularly useful when searching for ores or progressing to deeper mine levels.

Stuffing, another recipe that includes cranberries, also requires bread and hazelnuts. This hearty meal restores 170 energy and 76 health and provides a Defense (+2) buff for 5 minutes and 35 seconds, which can be incredibly useful when facing tougher enemies in the Skull Cavern or dangerous areas of the mines. Another notable recipe that includes cranberries is the Super Meal, which is made using bok choy, cranberry, and artichoke. This well-balanced dish restores 160 energy and 72 health while granting Max Energy (+40) and Speed (+1) buffs for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The speed boost is particularly useful when covering large distances on the farm or trying to reach specific locations before shops close for the day.

Cranberries also have applications beyond cooking and gifting. In tailoring, they can be used in the sewing machine to create dyeable Farmer Pants, providing an opportunity for players to customize their character’s clothing. For those interested in dyeing items, cranberries can also be used as a red dye at the dye pots found in Emily’s and Haley’s home at 2 Willow Lane. This allows for further customization of clothing and accessories, giving players more control over their in-game appearance.

Despite their many uses, cranberries do not play a role in any bundles or quests, making them more of a self-sustaining crop rather than one required for completing community upgrades. However, their value lies in their ability to generate reliable income, provide valuable cooking ingredients, and serve as a useful gift for multiple villagers.

Their frequent harvest schedule ensures that farmers always have a fresh supply throughout the season, and processing them into artisan goods, such as cranberry jelly or wine, can further increase their profitability. Whether players choose to sell them raw, process them, or use them in cooking and gifting, cranberries remain an essential and highly useful crop in Stardew Valley, making them a worthwhile investment for any farm during the fall season.

Cranberry Strategy

Cranberries are a reliable and profitable crop in Stardew Valley, offering multiple harvests throughout the fall. The initial growth time for cranberry seeds is 7 days, but using Deluxe Speed-Gro fertilizer can reduce this time to 5.25 days, allowing for a quicker start. Once mature, cranberry plants produce fruit every 5 days, making them a consistent source of income throughout the season. Although cranberries do not have the highest single-sale value, their multiple harvests make them a long-term winner in terms of profit.

Fertilizer usage has a limited impact on cranberry growth, as most fertilizers only affect the first berry from each harvest. Basic, Quality, and Deluxe fertilizers will improve the initial harvest, but Speed-Gro fertilizers will only reduce the time for the initial growth, not the time between subsequent harvests. This makes Speed-Gro fertilizers useful for speeding up the crop’s first yield but does not impact the frequency of future harvests.

To maximize profit, consider processing cranberries rather than selling them directly. While selling cranberries provides a base income of 75g each, using Preserves Jars to make cranberry jelly can significantly increase their value, as it yields 2x + 50g of the base price per cranberry. However, processing in Preserves Jars takes longer. Dehydrators, on the other hand, provide a faster way to process cranberries into dried fruit, which sells for 1.55 times the base price.

Dehydrators process five cranberries at once and only take one day, making them ideal for fast money, though they provide less profit per fruit than Preserves Jars. For overall profit, Preserves Jars should be prioritized, particularly if you have time to wait. Dehydrators are better for quickly processing excess cranberries.

If you have large harvests of cranberries, it’s more efficient to use Dehydrators for the surplus since Preserves Jars take longer to process and have limited space. During the fall, it may be more advantageous to process pumpkins in Preserves Jars and use Dehydrators for cranberries to maximize efficiency. Additionally, cranberries can be used for gifting, cooking, and tailoring. They are liked by many villagers, used in recipes like Cranberry Candy, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, and Super Meal, and can be used for dyeing in the Sewing Machine.

Cranberries were nerfed in the 1.1 update, with their base sell price reduced from 130g to 75g. Despite this change, they remain a useful crop due to their multiple harvests and versatility in processing. Each cranberry plant produces two cranberries, with a 10% chance of extra cranberries, and luck can further increase the amount of extra fruit harvested, making them a valuable crop for both income and other uses throughout the fall.

Historical Changes

Cranberries were introduced to Stardew Valley in version 1.0 and quickly became a popular crop due to their multiple harvests and relatively high sell price. However, in update 1.1, cranberries underwent a significant nerf, with their sell price dropping from 130g to 75g. This change was part of a broader effort to balance the game by making other crops more competitive, particularly crops with “berry” in the name. The nerf was implemented because cranberries were considered overpowered in the early version of the game, and the change aimed to encourage players to diversify their crops.

In version 1.4, a bug that allowed multi-harvest plants, like cranberries, to sometimes survive into winter was fixed. This update also introduced the ability to use cranberries in tailoring, further expanding their utility in the game. Then, in version 1.5, the introduction of Deluxe Fertilizer made it possible to grow iridium-quality cranberries, adding a new layer of value to the crop for players looking to maximize their returns.

Despite the reduction in their base sell price, cranberries remain a viable crop due to their multiple harvests, which still make them a profitable option for fall farming. Many players continue to recommend growing cranberries, especially considering their potential for processing into artisan goods, which significantly increases their value. Additionally, cranberries can be used for cooking, gifting, and tailoring, making them a versatile crop in Stardew Valley.

Additional Tips

When growing cranberries, one important thing to keep in mind is the second day of their growth cycle, which can be confusing as it looks very similar to a dead crop. This stage lacks the usual brown color of dead plants, so be careful not to mistakenly remove your cranberry plants. To maximize your cranberry yield, it’s essential to harvest them regularly, as they produce fruit every 5 days after reaching maturity. This ensures a steady flow of income throughout the fall season.

Luck plays a role in the number of extra cranberries that can spawn, with a chance to double your harvest. To boost your luck, consider eating a meal that provides a luck buff before harvesting. Another strategy is crop rotation. Early in the season, plant a fast-growing, profitable crop to earn enough money for cranberry seeds. Once Fall begins, you’ll be able to focus on your cranberries.

When it comes to processing cranberries, prioritize using preserve jars for higher-value crops like strawberries, as they offer better long-term profit. The dehydrator is useful for quickly processing cranberries, but it doesn’t provide as much profit per fruit. As for fertilizers, they mainly affect the first harvest of multiple-harvest crops like cranberries. Using Deluxe Fertilizer can help achieve Iridium quality crops, but fertilizers won’t drastically increase the number of cranberries you get from each harvest.

If you have a large cranberry farm, the Seed Maker can be an efficient way to create more seeds, allowing you to expand your crop without purchasing more. Cranberries are also a great crop to sell throughout the entire fall season, making them valuable even though pumpkins may be more popular for the Fall Festival. Additionally, cranberries provide a reliable source of income that can help you prepare for the winter months. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different processing methods based on your needs. The dehydrator offers quick cash, while preserve jars provide more profit over time, allowing you to adapt to your current goals.