Stardew Valley: Best Summer Crops To Maximize Profit

Ranking all Stardew Valley Summer Crops, and the best ones to grow!

Once you pass through your first season in Stardew Valley, you will be greeted by the summer season. Hopefully, by this time you’ve upgraded your tools and still have money to spend on buying seeds to farm and earn big in summer. This guide will help you identify the Best summer crops in Stardew Valley which will help you earn more money!

Best Summer Crops In Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley best summer crop
Summer Season

Let’s first quickly compare the Best Summer Crops in Stardew Valley:

RankBest ForCrop NameTypeGrowth TimeBuy PriceSell Price
7Best Summer Crop For Agricultural Productivity And Social Dynamics.Hot PepperFruit5 days40 gold40 gold
6Best Summer Crop For Consistent Daily Harvests.HopsVegetable11 days60 gold25 gold
5Best Summer Crop For Profit.Red CabbageVegetable9 days100 gold260 gold
4Best Summer Crop For Versatile Cooking.MelonFruit12 days80 gold250 gold
3Best Summer Crop For High Yield.CoffeeSeed10 days/2 days1500 gold15 gold
2Best Summer Crop For Optimizing Gameplay Experience.StarfruitFruit13 days400 gold750 gold
1Best All Rounder Summer Crop.BlueberriesFruit13 days80 gold50 gold

Most of these can be bought from Pierre’s shop. Other can be found at the traveling merchant or various other places you’ll come across as you play through the game. Most of the best crops are easily accessible and can earn you big profits over the season.

It would be best to complete community bundles and increase favorability sooner rather than later. We’ve also taken into account community bundles and the favorite crops of various villagers to give you a comprehensive guide.

7. Hot Pepper

Best Summer Crop For Agricultural Productivity And Social Dynamics.
Hot Pepper in Stardew Valley
  • Why I Chose This: The fast growth, multi-harvest capabilities, and utility in various game mechanics.

You can grow Hot Pepper from some Pepper Seeds. The best thing about Hot Pepper is without a doubt its ability to fully mature and grow in just 5 days. Hot Peppers are also a multi-harvest crop. When you harvest the Hot Pepper Plant, you will get 1 Hot Pepper every 3 days, and also a 3% chance of getting some extra Hot Peppers.

Hot Peppers are loved by Lewis and Shane, but disliked by Abigail, Haley, Jas, and Vincent. It’s crucial to know each villager’s preferences before gifting. In my opinion, Hot Peppers are essential for completing the Summer Crops Bundle and the Remixed Quality Crops Bundle. Additionally, I recommend using them in various profitable food recipes like Pepper Poppers, Spicy Eel, and Tropical Curry.

  • Hot Peppers are some of the fastest-growing crops in Stardew Valley, with just a 5-day growth period.
  • Hot Peppers are a multi-harvest crop, which allows you to more than double your profits.
  • There is a 3% chance that you will get more Hot Peppers than normal.
  • Hot Peppers are a great gifting option because very few villagers dislike them.
  • Some players might not like the low energy and health benefits that Hot Peppers give.

6. Hops

Best Summer Crop For Consistent Daily Harvests.

This is a vegetable crop that grows from a Hops starter which can be bought for 60 gold. It takes 11 days to fully grow which might seem like a long time. However, Hops can be harvested every day after that. This makes Hops a great multi-harvest crop. Hops themselves can’t be sold for a lot, only earning 25 gold.

Hops are used in a recipe to make Pale Ale, which is loved by Pam. Otherwise, Pale ale can be sold for 420 gold which is a decent amount of money too. Hops are used in the Wild Medicine Bundle.

  • Hops can be harvested multiple times, making them a multi-harvest crop.
  • Use Hops to produce Pale Ale for a higher profit margin.
  • Provides significant farming experience points, aiding in leveling up quickly.
  • Villagers in Stardew Valley are neutral about Hops, lacking popularity.
  • Selling Hops individually yields only 25 Gold, limiting profit potential.
  • A long growth period of up to 11 days may not suit some players.
  • Why I Chose This: The multi-harvest capability it provides with the consistent daily yields.

5. Red Cabbage

Best Summer Crop For Profit.

Red cabbage, taking 9 days to grow fully, offers a lucrative selling price of 260 gold, making it a profitable investment at Pierre’s store for 100 gold. Harvestable thrice in summer, it’s a reliable source of income. In my experience, purchasing seeds before the second year is challenging; relying on the traveling cart for availability in the first year is advisable, provided you have sufficient gold. Completing the dye bundle underscores its importance in the game

The vegetable crop is also an ingredient needed in many recipes to make food, including the Coleslaw, Fish taco which is loved by both Caroline and Gus, and the Red Plate which is loved by Emily.

  • Available for purchase at Pierre’s General Store at a decent price, making it easy to obtain.
  • Provides a good profit compared to the purchase price.
  • Required for completing the Dye Bundle on the Bulletin Board.
  • Versatile ingredients in many food recipes, liked by many villagers.
  • Suitable as a gift, as most villagers in Stardew Valley appreciate it.
  • Red Cabbage Seeds only become available in the second year, limiting early cultivation.
  • Why I Chose This: The significant profitability it provides on top of the multiple harvests.

4. Melon

Best Summer Crop For Versatile Cooking.
Stardew Valley best summer crop
Melon Seeds
  • Why I Chose This: The high levels of profit it provides with the contributes to both farming and community center objectives.

A fruit crop, Melon can be easily bought from Pierre’s shop. It can be bought for 80 gold and takes 12 days to fully grow. After being harvested it can be sold for 250 gold each. What makes melon special is that it is one of only 3 crops that has the potential of producing a giant crop.

After trying various crops, here’s what I found: Melon emerges as Penny’s favorite gift, making it my top recommendation for building relationships with her. Additionally, its versatility in recipes, such as Fruit Salad favored by Haley and Pink Cake adored by several characters like Vincent, Jas, and Marnie, adds to its appeal. Its inclusion in the summer crops bundle further emphasizes its significance, securing its spot on our list of best summer crops in Stardew Valley.

  • Easily obtainable from Pierre’s General Store, simplifying acquisition.
  • Sell for a profitable 250 Gold, offering a high return compared to the buying price.
  • Liked by most villagers in Stardew Valley, making them suitable for gifting.
  • Used in multiple recipes, potentially earning up to 480 Gold.
  • Melons can take up to 12 days to fully grow and might not be worth it for some players.

3. Coffee

Best Summer Crop For High Yield.
Stardew Valley best summer crop
Coffee Bean
  • Why I Chose This: The high yield this summer crop provides with the unique characteristics.

Based on what I experienced, coffee beans offer a consistent harvest of at least four beans every two days, with potential for more. Planting them in spring and summer ensures continuous yields across both seasons, boasting better long-term profits than starfruit when planted early. However, acquiring coffee beans presents challenges, as they’re primarily available from traveling merchants at a steep price of 1500 gold, making them inaccessible to most players early on.

Defeating Dust Sprites in specific areas yields coffee beans, albeit with low drop rates. However, each harvest typically provides multiple seeds, enabling rapid field expansion. Processing coffee beans in a keg produces coffee, enhancing movement speed temporarily. Alternatively, selling coffee beans can yield a tidy profit.

  • Coffee Beans can be grown in both Summer and Spring seasons, providing flexibility in planting.
  • Highly profitable crop with multiple harvests.
  • A short growth period of just 10 days allows for quicker harvesting.
  • Coffee Beans sell for a relatively high price, yielding considerable profit.
  • Versatile use of Coffee Beans, including making coffee with various advantages.
  • Coffee Beans are not sold in any Stardew Valley stores.
  • Obtaining Coffee Beans can be challenging due to low drop probability.
  • No benefit from selling Coffee Beans in the Tiller profession.

2. Starfruit

Best Summer Crop For Optimizing Gameplay Experience.
Stardew Valley best summer crop
Starfruit Seeds
  • Why I Chose This: The financial gains that it is able to provide and the optimization in their farms productivity.

This crop is probably the most profitable that you can plant in the summer. It is one of the most profitable crops in the game. Starfruit takes a really long time 13 days to fully grow. However, this turns out to be worth the wait since it easily sells for 750 gold at its base selling price.

In my opinion, starfruit presents some challenges for beginners. Accessible only from the desert merchant, it requires significant progression to acquire. Additionally, the high cost of starfruit seeds at 400 gold poses a barrier to entry, limiting profitability for players with limited funds. Despite these hurdles, starfruit offers unique benefits such as its role in constructing the Junimo Hut and its potential for high-value products like jelly or wine, making it a valuable investment for advanced players.

  • Starfruit sells for one of the highest prices in Stardew Valley, fetching 750 Gold.
  • Useful for building the Jumbo Hut, providing additional benefits.
  • Can significantly increase profits by crafting Starfruit into Wine or Jelly, almost doubling the earnings.
  • Obtaining Starfruit can be challenging, particularly for new players.
  • Starfruit Seeds cost 400 Gold, requiring initial investment for cultivation.
  • The lack of food recipes using Starfruit reduces potential profits.

1. Blueberries

Best All Rounder Summer Crop.
Stardew Valley best summer crop
Blueberry Crops
  • Why I Chose This: The combination of accessibility, profatibility, and versatility.

Blueberries reign as the top summer crop in Stardew Valley, offering unmatched ease of availability and profitability. Available for a modest 80 gold at Pierre’s, each blueberry fetches a respectable 50 gold when sold. With a minimum yield of 3 berries per harvest and a maturity period of 13 days, blueberries outshine other summer crops with their multiple-harvest capability

Blueberries are versatile crops in Stardew Valley, offering various profitable uses. Crafting blueberry jelly or wine significantly boosts their value, making them lucrative commodities. Additionally, blueberries are essential for completing the summer crops bundle and are favored gifts for Linus and Haley.

  • Blueberries are among the most profitable crops in the summer season.
  • Required for completing the Quality Crops bundle at the Community Center.
  • Easy to obtain, simplifying the cultivation process.
  • Each harvest yields up to 3 Blueberries, making them highly efficient.
  • Potential for extra profit by crafting Blueberries into Wine or Jelly.
  • Blueberries might not be the best crop when it comes to gifting because the majority of the villagers are neutral about them.

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This was our Stardew Valley best summer crops guide. For more stuff check out our Stardew Valley Guide section.

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A really fun and informative read!! Will definitely return

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Sarim is a Finance major, fantasy writer, creative consultant, and professional developmental and line editor. When not writing, Sarim is dreaming about storytelling and gaming. He has worked with Xbox and S&P Global, providing creative consultancy and business development.

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