Caviar in Stardew Valley is a highly valuable artisan good that can significantly boost your income. This guide provides detailed steps and tips on how to acquire caviar, maximize its value, and incorporate it into your Stardew Valley gameplay.
What is Caviar in Stardew Valley?
Caviar is a type of artisan good produced by processing Sturgeon roe in a preserves jar. It is one of the most profitable items you can create, making it a desirable commodity for players looking to optimize their earnings.
Why is Caviar Valuable?
Caviar’s high value stems from several factors:
- Base Sell Price: Caviar has a high base sell price compared to many other artisan goods.
- Artisan Profession: If you have chosen the Artisan profession at level 10 Farming, the value of caviar will be increased by 40%.
- Gift Potential: While not universally loved, caviar is a liked gift by several villagers, making it useful for improving relationships.
- Bundle Completion: Caviar is required to complete the Specialty Fish Bundle in the Community Center, which rewards you with valuable items like a Tackle Box.
Prerequisites for Making Caviar
Before you can produce caviar, you need to meet specific requirements:
- Unlock the Preserves Jar: You need to reach Farming Level 4 to unlock the crafting recipe for the Preserves Jar.
- Gather the Resources for Preserves Jar: The Preserves Jar requires the following materials: 50 Wood and 40 Stone.
- Acquire Sturgeon: You must catch a Sturgeon.
- Obtain a Fish Pond: Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop can build a fish pond for you.
Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Caviar
Follow these detailed steps to start producing caviar in Stardew Valley:
Step 1: Craft a Preserves Jar
Once you reach Farming Level 4, the recipe for the Preserves Jar will become available. Gather 50 Wood and 40 Stone and use your crafting menu to create as many preserves jars as you can afford and have space for. The more jars you have, the more roe you can process simultaneously, and the more caviar you can produce.
Step 2: Build a Fish Pond
Visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop, located north of your farm in the Mountain area. Request to build a Fish Pond. Each Fish Pond costs 5,000g, 200 Stone, 5 Seaweed, and 5 Green Algae. Choose a suitable location on your farm for the pond; it requires a 5×5 space.
Step 3: Catch a Sturgeon
Sturgeon can be found in the mountain lake (north of Robin’s house and the Mines) during the Summer and Winter seasons. They can only be caught between 6 AM and 7 PM. You need a fishing rod to catch them. It’s recommended to use bait to increase your chances of getting a bite quickly. The best bait for catching fish is Wild Bait. You can also use a fishing buff such as Trout Soup, Fish Stew, or Seafoam Pudding, which increase your fishing level to make catching the fish much easier.
Step 4: Populate the Fish Pond with Sturgeon
After catching a Sturgeon, go to your Fish Pond and interact with it. Select the option to add the fish to the pond. Initially, a Fish Pond can only hold one fish. Once the Sturgeon is in the pond, it will begin producing Roe.
Step 5: Fulfill Fish Pond Quests
The Sturgeon in your Fish Pond will occasionally request certain items. Fulfilling these requests increases the pond’s capacity, allowing you to house more Sturgeon. The requests are usually for items like Diamonds, or other fish. These requests can be very beneficial for your farm, so it’s usually a good idea to fulfill them. Once you have completed three quests for your sturgeon, you will be able to have 10 sturgeons in the pond.
Step 6: Collect Sturgeon Roe
Each day, check your Fish Pond. Sturgeon will produce Sturgeon Roe, which will float on the surface of the water like an item. Simply interact with the pond to collect the Roe. The amount of Roe produced depends on the number of Sturgeon in the pond.
Step 7: Process Roe into Caviar
Take the Sturgeon Roe you’ve collected and place it inside a Preserves Jar. After approximately 6000 minutes (2-3 in-game days), the Roe will be processed into Caviar. The processing time remains constant, regardless of the type of roe used.
Step 8: Harvest and Sell Caviar
Once the processing is complete, harvest the Caviar from the Preserves Jars. You can then sell the Caviar for a substantial profit. Store it in a chest until you’re ready to sell it to maximize your earnings.
Maximizing Caviar Production and Profit
To optimize your caviar production and profit, consider the following strategies:
Multiple Fish Ponds
Build multiple Fish Ponds to house more Sturgeon. The more Sturgeon you have, the more Roe you can collect each day, leading to increased caviar production. Place them close to each other to make harvesting from each of them faster.
Maximize Preserves Jars
Craft a large number of Preserves Jars to process as much Roe as possible at once. You can dedicate a shed or a section of your farm to house your preserves jars. Having multiple sheds allows you to create an artisan good empire.
The Artisan Profession
Choose the Artisan profession at Farming Level 10 to increase the sell price of artisan goods, including Caviar, by 40%. This will significantly boost your profits from selling Caviar. If you didn’t pick it at level 5 farming, remember that you can change your professions in the Statue at the sewer. To unlock the statue, you will need to have at least 12 hearts with Krobus.
Utilize Fertilizer
Although it doesn’t directly affect Caviar production, using fertilizer on your crops will improve the quality of your harvests. This, in turn, increases your overall income, which can be reinvested into expanding your Fish Pond and Preserves Jar setup.
Complete the Community Center Bundles
Completing the Community Center bundles can unlock helpful rewards that will make it easier to catch fish. For example, the reward for completing the fishing bundle is several dish o’ the sea, which increases your fishing level by +3. Completing the community center can also provide valuable resources that can assist you in your Stardew Valley journey.
Ginger Island Farm
After completing the community center, you can unlock Ginger Island. You can set up fish ponds on Ginger Island, allowing you to significantly increase your capacity for caviar production.
Tips for Catching Sturgeon
Catching Sturgeon can be challenging, especially for players with lower fishing levels. Here are some tips to improve your chances:
- Use Bait and Tackle: Bait increases the frequency of fish bites, while tackle can make it easier to reel in fish. The Trap Bobber is particularly useful for catching difficult fish like Sturgeon.
- Eat Fishing Buff Foods: Consume foods that provide a fishing buff, such as Trout Soup, Fish Stew, or Seafoam Pudding. These buffs temporarily increase your fishing level, making it easier to catch fish.
- Choose the Right Location: Fish in the deepest part of the mountain lake to increase your chances of finding Sturgeon. Cast your line as far as possible from the shore.
- Practice Fishing: Improving your fishing skills through practice will make it easier to catch any fish, including Sturgeon. Start by catching easier fish and gradually move on to more challenging ones.
- Check the Weather: Some players find that fishing is easier on rainy days, though Sturgeon can be caught in any weather.
Using Caviar in Gameplay
Besides selling Caviar for profit, you can also use it in other aspects of your Stardew Valley gameplay:
Gifting
Caviar is a liked gift by several villagers, including:
- Harvey
- Linus
- Pierre
- Willy
Gifting Caviar to these villagers can help improve your friendship levels with them. Keep in mind that gifting an item too frequently to a villager in a short period of time will lead to diminishing returns in friendship points.
Community Center Bundle
Caviar is required to complete the Specialty Fish Bundle in the Community Center. Completing this bundle rewards you with a Tackle Box, which provides access to various types of tackle that can aid in fishing. The community center is essential for unlocking many features of Stardew Valley, so it’s important to complete as many bundles as possible.
Cooking (Potential Future Uses)
While Caviar is not currently used in any cooking recipes, it is possible that future updates to Stardew Valley may introduce recipes that require Caviar. Therefore, it can be beneficial to save some Caviar for potential future use.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Here are some common issues players encounter when trying to produce Caviar and how to resolve them:
- Can’t Catch Sturgeon: Ensure you are fishing in the mountain lake during Summer or Winter between 6 AM and 7 PM. Use bait, tackle, and fishing buff foods to increase your chances.
- Fish Pond Not Producing Roe: Make sure the Fish Pond is populated with Sturgeon. Also, ensure that the pond is not full. Fish will only produce roe if there is room to produce it in the pond.
- Preserves Jar Not Processing Roe: Check that the Preserves Jar contains Sturgeon Roe and that the processing time has elapsed (approximately 2-3 days).
- Fish Pond Capacity Not Increasing: Fulfill the requests made by the Sturgeon in the pond to increase its capacity. The requests will appear as a notification on the top-left corner of your screen.
Advanced Caviar Production Techniques
For players looking to maximize their caviar production even further, here are some advanced techniques:
Automated Systems
Utilize Junimo huts or other automation methods to harvest crops used in fulfilling Fish Pond requests. This reduces the manual labor required to maintain your caviar production. You can also use auto-grabbers in the fish ponds, which automatically collect roe for you.
Strategic Pond Placement
Place Fish Ponds near your crafting area to minimize travel time when collecting Roe and processing it into Caviar. This increases efficiency and allows you to focus on other tasks. If you have a warp totem to the mountains, consider placing the ponds right next to the warp totem.
Roe Variety
While Sturgeon Roe is specifically used to make Caviar, other types of fish roe can be processed in Preserves Jars to create different types of aged roe. Experiment with different fish to diversify your artisan goods production. While other types of fish roe are not as valuable as Caviar, they are still a good source of income.
Understanding Fish Pond Mechanics
A deeper understanding of Fish Pond mechanics can greatly improve your caviar production:
Pond Population
The number of fish in a pond affects the rate at which Roe is produced. A full pond will produce Roe more frequently than a pond with only one fish. Maximizing the pond’s population is crucial for efficient caviar production.
Quest Types
Fish Pond quests vary in difficulty and resource requirements. Prioritize quests that are easy to fulfill and provide significant benefits, such as increasing the pond’s capacity or improving the quality of the fish. Some quests may be more difficult than others. Evaluate whether the quest is worth fulfilling.
Roe Production Rate
The Roe production rate is influenced by the type of fish, the number of fish in the pond, and the overall happiness of the fish. Keeping the fish happy and well-fed will optimize Roe production.
Caviar and the Stardew Valley Economy
Caviar plays a significant role in the Stardew Valley economy, particularly for players focusing on artisan goods production. Here’s how Caviar fits into the larger economic picture:
Artisan Goods
Caviar is one of the most profitable artisan goods in the game, rivaled only by items like Ancient Fruit Wine and Starfruit Wine. Its high sell price makes it a reliable source of income for players investing in artisan production.
Seasonal Impact
Sturgeon can only be caught during Summer and Winter, which means Roe production is limited to these seasons. Plan your caviar production accordingly to ensure a steady supply throughout the year. Using the fish ponds from Ginger Island can offset the seasonal limitations, as you can build fish ponds there and not have to worry about seasons.
Market Fluctuations
While the sell price of Caviar remains relatively stable, market fluctuations can affect the price of other goods needed for production, such as Wood and Stone. Monitor market trends to optimize your resource gathering and production costs.
Future Updates and Caviar
As Stardew Valley continues to receive updates, there may be future changes to Caviar production or new uses for the item. Stay informed about the latest updates and patches to take advantage of any new opportunities.
New Recipes
Future updates may introduce cooking recipes that require Caviar, increasing its value and utility. Keeping an eye on developer announcements and community discussions can help you anticipate these changes.
Gameplay Mechanics
Changes to fishing mechanics or artisan good production could impact Caviar production. Adapting to these changes and adjusting your strategies accordingly will ensure continued success.
Conclusion
Producing Caviar in Stardew Valley is a rewarding endeavor that can significantly boost your income and enhance your gameplay experience. By following this comprehensive guide, you can effectively acquire Sturgeon, manage Fish Ponds, and optimize Caviar production. Whether you’re aiming to complete the Community Center bundle, improve your relationships with villagers, or simply amass wealth, Caviar is a valuable asset in your Stardew Valley journey.