Eat hops!

hexnessie

hexnessie

Farmer
I finally feel I have a bit of advice to contribute to all newcomers. Hops! Chances are you are going to be growing tons of it in your first year, aimed at turning it into profitable alcoholic beverages.

Well, it's not just good for that - a gold-quality hops will give you 81 energy and 36 health. Sure, it's no cheese, not even a salad, but it's free, easily available and can save your skin in the mines. Don't sell it, don't hoard it - eat it!

In year 1, you are probably going to have more hops than you can easily process. Use the normal and silver quality for kegs, and keep the gold ones for your own consumption. You will probably not even make a dent in your stash before it's blackberry season and kitchen and all kinds of new food sources.
 
Lew Zealand

Lew Zealand

Helper
Hmmm, this is very interesting and I haven't thought about it yet. I suppose everyone has their favorite early game food source but I use Salmonberries as a baseline as they're the first bulk item you can get, especially if you hit Foraging Level 4 before or during SBerry season as that doubles the drop rate.

I did that recently and got around 100 Salmonberries in a casual play which is decent, but averaging between Silver and Gold Star quality (early game) gets an average of 17 or 18 Health and 40 Energy replenished per Sberry. [Edit: Hill Myna pointed out below that Foraged SBerries are regular quality only so only 11 Health and 25 Energy replenished per Sberry. Thanks!]

A month later you can start harvesting Hops and with 10 Hops plants (600g, not too expensive), you'll get 170 Hops by Summer 28 with an average of 33 Health and 75 Energy replenished per Hops (mostly Gold Star) . A big improvement over SBerries and takes a lot less time to Harvest, mostly because you're only dedicating a tiny part of each day to Harvesting, instead of (usually for me) 2 whole days Foraging, usually interspersed with giving Gifts.

So you could still use Spring Onions for the first 2 weeks, then get maybe 30-40 SBerries while on the way somewhere else (no dedicated Forage days or anything), then do Hops in Summer as the SBerries run out. And Fish a little bit if any of those run out. By that time, the Cow-->Cheese conveyor belt should be running and your Food crisis will be a distant memory.

Like this strategy if I don't actually try it within the next week or so...
 
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Hill Myna

Hill Myna

Farmer
Hear, hear! Great post!

Salmonberries, Spring Onions and Parsnips keep me going until Summer the 12th, when my 100 Hops harvest. All gold quality are for sure gonna be eaten, and silver is at risk until I've built up a decent stockpile. All normal quality is saved for Pale Ale, typically I'll have around 1,200 left to process during Fall and Winter.

With all this promised energy, I find Summer is a great time to clear out the farm and Cindersap to get as many Oak Seeds as possible. All this chopping also increases my foraging level enough for Lightning Rods and Tree Fertilizer (both great additions to the farm), and I can set up a large grove of Oak Trees (around 50). By Fall, I can have a Big Shed full of Kegs (made with all the wood I collected), Farming Level 10, and the Bus unlocked.

Skull Cavern begins at this point! My Hops will have run out, so my cows' Cheese will be my food source, or maybe Sashimi. By the end of Fall I'll have 3 or 4 Stardrops, so energy isn't an issue, and the Cheese my cows give me is sufficient for all my spelunking.

Lew Zealand said:
I did that recently and got around 100 Salmonberries in a casual play which is decent, but averaging between Silver and Gold Star quality (early game) gets an average of 17 or 18 Health and 40 Energy replenished per Sberry.
Click to expand...
How are you getting Silver and Gold quality Salmonberries? Are you talking about the Fruit Bats?
 
Lew Zealand

Lew Zealand

Helper
Hill Myna said:
How are you getting Silver and Gold quality Salmonberries? Are you talking about the Fruit Bats?
Click to expand...
You are 100% correct. My save is in another Postal code right now and I forgot that Foraged Salmonberries are regular quality only. This only makes the argument for Hops more compelling.
 
Akemisora

Akemisora

Planter
I wonder if filling up house or sheds with garden pots + hops + quality (deluxe later) retaining soil would be a pretty effective strategy for energy & health supply instead of cheese or salads.
 
hexnessie

hexnessie

Farmer
Akemisora said:
I wonder if filling up house or sheds with garden pots + hops + quality (deluxe later) retaining soil would be a pretty effective strategy for energy & health supply instead of cheese or salads.
Click to expand...
I've been considering this. I will probably keep a set of 5-10 pots in the house filled with hops & retaining soil, to use instead of iridium berries (my basic health/energy boost in years 2&3). I'm not sure it will totally replace cheese as the 'panic button food' that quickly replaces lots of health though.
 
Tom

Tom

Farmer
In my early "Mormon boy" savefiles, I was amazed by the energy Hops gave me, and it was my mining food. But then later I compromised my religious principles, went the alchoholic enabler route, and seriously reduced my consumption of Hops because I wanted the money, money, money from Pale Ale.
 
WhiteEagle12

WhiteEagle12

Farmer
Tom said:
In my early "Mormon boy" savefiles, I was amazed by the energy Hops gave me, and it was my mining food. But then later I compromised my religious principles, went the alchoholic enabler route, and seriously reduced my consumption of Hops because I wanted the money, money, money from Pale Ale.
Click to expand...
Lol, same. I decided it was a game and never looked back. I don't really drink any of the alcohol though. Usually it would just be for role-playing purposes, but there's no purpose. So, I just don't. (+ I'm an optimizer and alcohol makes you slower, whereas I am always on a constant caffeine rush)
 
Tom

Tom

Farmer
Continuing threadjack. :cool:

After 1400 hours of playing, I am interested again in conscientious runs. I had one where I didn't fish, fight, or cut trees off the farm (there were some story problems with that, but I resolved them by installing the Pacifist Valley mod set to Difficult mode and using the Traveling Cart and creative fictionalization: vegan Maki Rolls etc, ethical sourcing etc.). And I am interested in coffee-free and alcohol-free runs. I suppose for the sake of the story, a Pale Ale enabling of Pam (is taking a drink from/with Shane less problematic?) can't be avoided and must be chalked up to the folly of youth.

Nowadays I am most comfortable
  • playing with the Pacifist Valley mod,
  • pretending that fishing is semi-ethical or at least not slaughter (they are for tanks and ponds) and not for cooking (where, oh where, is the vegan mod to avoid cooking fish?),
  • keeping my chopping to the farm,
  • caffeine-free,
Jury is still out on the alcohol enabling/profiteering, I am entertaining playing without it except for story needs. Hops is good food.
 
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WhiteEagle12

WhiteEagle12

Farmer
Tom said:
Continuing threadjack. :cool:

After 1400 hours of playing, I am interested again in conscientious runs. I had one where I didn't fish, fight, or cut trees off the farm (there were some story problems with that, but I resolved them by installing the Pacifist Valley mod set to Difficult mode and using the Traveling Cart and creative fictionalization: vegan Maki Rolls etc, ethical sourcing etc.). And I am interested in coffee-free and alcohol-free runs. I suppose for the sake of the story, a Pale Ale enabling of Pam (is taking a drink from/with Shane less problematic?) can't be avoided and must be chalked up to the folly of youth.

Nowadays I am most comfortable
  • playing with the Pacifist Valley mod,
  • pretending that fishing is semi-ethical or at least not slaughter (they are for tanks and ponds) and not for cooking (where, oh where, is the vegan mod to avoid cooking fish?),
  • keeping my chopping to the farm,
  • caffeine-free,
Jury is still out on the alcohol enabling/profiteering, I am entertaining playing without it except for story needs. Hops is good food.
Click to expand...
I am also thinking about doing themed runs (probably without mods cuz I play on Switch most of the time) but first I need to get that first sweet, sweet perfection run. I'm well on my way, I just need to DO the more niche stuff at this point. Now I just hope I have the time to play more lol.
 
Tom

Tom

Farmer
I am almost to finish my first perfection. Just need to establish friendly trade relations (thank you, Pacifist Valley!) with a few more Serpents and Pepper Rex and collect all those appalling Rarecrows I ignored for 3 years.
 
Boo1972

Boo1972

Farmer
Gold quality hops are one of my favorite foods to take to the mines early on. Some people can keep their energy or health levels permanently in the orange, but I cannot. I will be distracted and either “die” or pass out. Hops are great because I can have a large supply without fishing all day for chubs and still have leftovers for processing. My favorite food though is gold or iridium cactus fruit. I switch over to it as quickly as possible.
 
HomeintheValley12

HomeintheValley12

Farmhand
hexnessie said:
I finally feel I have a bit of advice to contribute to all newcomers. Hops! Chances are you are going to be growing tons of it in your first year, aimed at turning it into profitable alcoholic beverages.

Well, it's not just good for that - a gold-quality hops will give you 81 energy and 36 health. Sure, it's no cheese, not even a salad, but it's free, easily available and can save your skin in the mines. Don't sell it, don't hoard it - eat it!

In year 1, you are probably going to have more hops than you can easily process. Use the normal and silver quality for kegs, and keep the gold ones for your own consumption. You will probably not even make a dent in your stash before it's blackberry season and kitchen and all kinds of new food sources.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's realistic... I've never eaten a raw hop in real life personally but apparently they make you sick in anything other than beer. And they can make you sick in beer too. Remember to use in moderation, kids!
 
Boo1972

Boo1972

Farmer
HomeintheValley12 said:
I don't think that's realistic... I've never eaten a raw hop in real life personally but apparently they make you sick in anything other than beer. And they can make you sick in beer too. Remember to use in moderation, kids!
Click to expand...
Considering your farmer manages to choke down the “essence of the forest” at the Wizard’s and survives consuming iridium snake milk which has got to be snake venom since reptiles don’t produce milk, I think they can handle some hops. Those farmers are made of strong stuff.
 

Elenna101

Farmer
Boo1972 said:
Considering your farmer manages to choke down the “essence of the forest” at the Wizard’s and survives consuming iridium snake milk which has got to be snake venom since reptiles don’t produce milk, I think they can handle some hops. Those farmers are made of strong stuff.
Click to expand...
They also manage to eat whole raw fish, spring onions pulled straight out of the dirt, and carrots that have been sitting in the mines for who knows how long. Very impressive stomachs!
 
Lew Zealand

Lew Zealand

Helper
These are all very excellent arguments in favor of eating Hops straight from the vine (which I'll be doing in-game from now on, thanks!), but the Farmer is still a gastronomical novice compared to the all time Stardew champ:

Abigail and her quartz-grinding dental work and -dissolving stomach acids.

Look no further for evidence that she truly is the Wizard's daughter.
 
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