Rare Seed Stardew Valley Guide

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Callum is the gaming managing editor and a certified Stardew Valley aficionado, pouring hundreds if not thousands of hours into this relaxing indie title. While overseeing the day-to-day running of the site, you'll commonly see Callum carve out some time to produce some content on one of his favorite games of all time, and lead from the front. Callum has been around the block within the gaming industry, working as an Editor-in-chief for a number of well-respected gaming outlets, he has worked as a games tester, he has gaming podcast experience, has worked in gaming PR. Basically, you name it, and Callum was probably there or somewhere on the periphery.

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If there is one thing that is hard to ignore within Stardew Valley, it’s the art of farming and growing crops. Players have the freedom to engage with whatever aspects of this game that they like. They can become full-time miners, fishermen, or live off the land.

However, if you want to make bucket loads of cash, it’s very hard to do so consistently without growing crops and shipping your fresh produce. Most seeds and crops can be grown through purchasing the seeds at Pierres General Store or Joja Mart if you are that way inclined.

However, not all seeds are as easy to come across. Some seeds can only be found out in the desert, some are indigenous to the far-off land of Ginger Island, and some can only be acquired from traveling merchants. Today we focus on the latter. Today we focus on the Rare Seed.

This strange seed is more than just a novelty item; it’s the ticket to riches, fortune, and, if you know where to look, a delicious Stardrop. Much like an Ancient seed, this seed has the potential to grow into one of the rarest and most profitable items in the game, which makes it a very desirable item.

However, you may be wondering where you can get your hands on these seeds, what sort of care they need to grow, and what the seeds actually grow into. Well, we are here to reveal all and make sure you can make an informed decision about what crops work best for you at the start of every season. So without further delay, here is our Stardew Valley Rare Seed Guide.

What Is a Rare Seed?

A rare seed is a seed within Stardew Valley that you won’t simply find by popping into Pierre’s. It’s a seed that can only be found if you know exactly where to look. This seed eventually grows into a Sweet Gem Berry, one of the most delectable and juicy fruits in all the land, and not only that. It’s also the best crops and most expensive crop in the game too.

To find this seed, the player will need to visit the traveling merchant who hangs out in the northwest area of the Cindersap Forest, near the entrance to the secret woods and the Wizard’s Tower. This is most commonly sold in Spring and Summer for 1000G, or there is a chance of getting this item for 600g during any season from the Travelling Merchant if you are lucky.

The Travelling Merchant will always have this item for 1000g in spring and summer. However, there is only a 1.26% chance you will get these seeds at the lower price, so don’t bank on getting a bargain.

When Should I Plant My Rare Seeds?

Rare Seeds are meant to be sown in the Fall, which is why the game offers you so many opportunities to purchase these, one by one, before the Halloween season. We would advise that players don’t hang around before planting these seeds, though, as they take a long time to grow, 24 days in fact.

This means you’ll have to plant them right at the start of the season, but Speed-Gro can help you if you are in a jam. When these seeds grow into lovely, juicy Sweet Gem Berries, you’ll be able to reap the rewards for working the land tirelessly. Here are the stats for this luxury fruit below:

Standard Quality: 3,000g
Silver Quality: 3,750g
Gold Quality: 4,500g
Iridium Quality: 6,000g

It’s also worth noting that this curious fruit can not be eaten to restore health or energy. Not that you would want to when it sells for the prices shown above. This is the only standard crop in the game to which this applies to.

What is the Best Use for a Sweet Gem Berry?

There are many ways that you can use a Sweet Gem Berry to get ahead in Stardew Valley. Here are the best options so you can get the most out of your luxury harvest:

Profit

Firstly, there is the blatantly obvious option, profit. The player can sell these luxury crops and receive up to 6,000g a pop, which is an absolutely incredible return for one single item. We would suggest you hold on to at least one for the upcoming entry, but if you grew a few of these, we say take it to the bank.

Master Cannoli

If you have upgraded your axe to a gold standard, allowing you to chop down large logs, you will probably have visited the Secret Wood, which is just west of where the Travelling Merchant sits on her day in town. Here you will be able to get your hands on some rare forage items like fiddlehead Fern, some rare mushrooms, and also, you will then have a place where you can get a regular supply of Hardwood.

However, what many Stardew players don’t know, is that you can interact with the statue on the western end of the Secret Wood. If you do, he will tell the player that he is in search of ‘the sweetest taste.’ So if you can put two and two together, you’ll realize that he is asking for a Sweet Gem Berry.

Offer one to the statue, and it will reward you with one of the seven rare Stardrops within the game, granting you a permanent boost to your energy stat.

Remixed Bundles

If you are a veteran Stardew player and you like a bit of a challenge, then you will probably choose to take on the Remixed Bundles at some point. These mix up the required items for the Community Centre and add some replayability to this already stellar game.

If you choose to take on this challenge, you will be required to bring along a Sweet Gem Berry to complete a bundle in the Pantry section of the Community Centre, which perhaps shows the step up in difficulty, but hey, we reckon you are up to the challenge.

Gifting

This isn’t something we would recommend, but we will mention it all the game. A Sweet Gem berry is a universality-neutral item, so it can make a reasonable gift for just about anyone in the game. However, because it is such a valuable item, we would suggest you sell them or use them for more practical purposes. Also, quick tip, if you want an item that you can stockpile that almost everyone in town likes, Mayonaise is a superb option.

Clothing

Then lastly, if you have a Sweet Gem Berry and you need some new threads, you can use a sewing machine and turn this item into a White Turban. It might not be necessary for the typical Pelican Town climate, but if you are heading off to Ginger Island, this might be just what you need.

Can I Enhance My Sweet Gem Berry?

Anyone that utilizes artisan equipment in Stardew Valley will know that when you harvest a crop, the farming process doesn’t end there. When it comes to making the most profit from each item you pull from the soil, you need to use machines and apparatus to turn these raw materials into artisan goods.

You can make wine, juice, ale, beer, coffee, jam, pickled veg, and much more if you have the right tools for your job, so surely the same is true of Sweet Gem Berries, right?

Well, sadly not, as these crops cannot be turned into artisan goods for whatever reason. This is a shame as if you could turn these berries into an iridium quality wine; for example, this crop would blow every other luxury crop out of the water in terms of potential profits. I suppose this was perhaps a move to keep the game balanced but a shame nonetheless.

FAQs

Question: What Day Does The Travelling Merchant Come?

Answer: It can be a little tricky for new players to work out the Travelling Merchant’s regular schedule. After all, a lot of players never even encounter this merchant until they happen to be passing by chance. However, they do have a regular schedule. They are open from 6 am to 8 pm every Friday and Sunday. Plus, as an extra bonus, they also appear at the Night Market too.

Question: Can I Grow Rare Seeds on Ginger Island?

Answer: Sadly not, for you see, Ginger Island is a very hot, sunny climate and essentially caters for crops grown in summer all year round. So if you want to grow tonnes of Starfruit out there, you absolutely can, but rare seeds will just sit in the loamy ground and never sprout. However, if you are looking for a way to grow Sweet Gem Berries year-round, you can always make use of the Greenhouse on your farm, so long as you have completed the applicable room within the community Centre.

Question: How Can I Make Lots of Rare Seeds?

Answer: It can be frustrating when visiting the Travelling Merchant that you are only limited to one Rare Seed per visit, and honestly, there is no way around that in the first year of your playthrough. However, when you can access the Greenhouse, and you have grown a good number of Rare Seeds during your first fall, you can place the Sweet Gem Berries in a Seed Maker, and you then give yourself the chance of multiplying your seeds and your eventual profits three-fold. So consider crafting a seed maker before you enter your second year.