Stardew Valley: How To Cultivate Honey

This Stardew Valley guide focuses on honey production, a profitable yet often overlooked artisanal good. This guide is updated for version 1.6.

Bee House Construction

Honey is produced by bees housed in Bee Houses. The recipe unlocks at Farming Level 3, requiring:

• 40 Wood
• 8 Coal
• 1 Iron Bar
• 1 Maple Syrup

Bee Houses can also be obtained from the Fall Crops Bundle (Community Center) or the Mayor's Prize Counter.

Place Bee Houses outdoors (farm, forest, quarry). They produce honey every 3-4 days (excluding winter; year-round on Ginger Island). Harvesting honey with an axe or pickaxe will drop it. Bee Houses in the Greenhouse do not produce honey.

Flowers and Honey Types

Without nearby flowers (within five tiles, including Garden Pots), Bee Houses produce Wild Honey (100g, 140g with Artisan profession). Nearby flowers change honey type and value:

Harvesting flowers before honey collection reverts the honey to Wild Honey. Wild Seed flowers (Sweet Peas, Daffodils) yield Wild Honey.

Honey Uses

Higher-value honeys are best sold directly. Wild Honey and others can be used for crafting and gifting.

Mead Production

Honey in a Keg produces Mead. Mead quality (and price) is unaffected by honey type:

• Normal: 200g (280g with Artisan)
• Silver: 250g (350g)
• Gold: 300g (420g)
• Iridium: 400g (560g)

Aging in a Cask improves quality.

Crafting and Bundles

Honey, Hardwood, and Fiber craft a Warp Totem: Farm (Farming Level 8). Honey completes the Artisan Bundle (Community Center) and some Fish Pond quests.

Gifting

Honey is a Liked gift for most villagers (except Maru and Sebastian). Mead is also well-received (avoid Penny, Sebastian, children). Wild Honey is ideal for gifting due to its ease of acquisition.