Summer brings new challenges and opportunities for profitable farming. The following options offer strong returns when carefully scheduled and managed.

This guide does not take into consideration the Tiller or Artisan sale prices, nor does it consider fertilizer, just the simple baselines available for a simple farmer. For crops that have a chance at giving you additional fruit, we are assuming each harvest only provides 1.

Best Crops in Stardew

Best Spring Crops - Best Summer Crops - Best Fall Crops - Best Winter Crops

Starfruit - 700g Profit per Square

Starfruit stands as the most profitable standard crop of the season. Its seeds can be purchased at the Oasis, requiring access to the Calico Desert which requires completing the vault objective in the Community Center. With proper timing, two harvests fit into the summer schedule.

• Seed Price: 400g (purchased at the Oasis)
• Selling Price: 750g per Starfruit
• Profit per Harvest: 350g
• Growth Time: 13 days
• Harvests per Season: 2
• Total Profit per Square: 700g over the season
• Processing:
  • Starfruit Jelly: 1550g
  • Starfruit Wine: 2250g
  • Dried Starfruit: 5650g, requires 5x Starfruit

Jelly and wine from Starfruit command premium prices, making processing equipment highly valuable and the initial investment into the seeds quite worthwhile. Even if you don't process it into Artisan Goods though, it is still the most profitable crop.

Blueberries - 520g Profit per Square

Blueberries feature multiple harvests after the initial growth period. Each harvest yields three berries, rapidly increasing total earnings. Planting on the first day of summer ensures four full harvests.

• Seed Price: 80g
• Selling Price: 50g per Blueberry
• Profit per Harvest: 130g (after accounting for seed cost over multiple harvests)
• Growth Time: 13 days initial, regrows every 4 days
• Harvests per Season: 4
• Total Profit per Square: 520g over the season
• Processing:
  • Blueberry Jelly: 150g
  • Blueberry Wine: 300g
  • Dried Blueberry: 400g, requires 5 Blueberry

Multiple harvests reduce seed costs per unit, and turning berries into jelly or wine boosts profits. This is an easier crop to manage when compared to Starfruit as you don't need to replant during the season, giving you more time to do other activities. With that said, due to the large overall volume of berries harvested, if you choose to dry them via a Dehydrator, you will have a lot of time to wait to get your profits.

Red Cabbage - 480g Profit per Square

Red Cabbage offers a strong return with three harvests possible during summer. Its seeds are available starting in Year 2 at Pierre’s or any year at the Traveling Cart for a price between 150g and 1000g - which is perfect for those looking for year 1 completion of the Community Center.

• Seed Price: 100g
• Selling Price: 260g per Red Cabbage
• Profit per Harvest: 160g
• Growth Time: 9 days
• Harvests per Season: 3
• Total Profit per Square: 480g over the season
• Processing:
  • Red Cabbage Jelly: 570g
  • Red Cabbage Juice: 585g

Adding preserves jars or kegs boosts earnings from each harvest significantly.

Hops - 365g Profit per Square

Hops grow on a trellis and produce daily once mature. The initial wait is long, but the steady stream of crops quickly adds up. Daily harvesting leads to a substantial total profit over summer.

• Seed Price: 60g
• Selling Price: 25g per Hop
• Profit per Harvest:  21.47g (after accounting for seed cost over multiple harvests)
• Growth Time: 11 days initial, harvest every day after
• Harvests per Season: 17
• Total Profit per Square: 365g over the season
• Processing:
  • Pale Ale: 300g

Converting Hops into Pale Ale dramatically increases each day's return. It should also be noted that Pale Ale is loved by Pam and liked by almost all the villagers (save Jas, Leo, Penny, Sebastian, and Vincent) which makes it a quick way to stock up on a single item that you can pass around the town to make everyone like you.

Melon - 340g Profit per Square

Melons deliver hefty single-harvest profits. Planting early allows for two harvests within the month. Large-scale melon fields can yield giant crops, producing additional melons in one go.

• Seed Price: 80g
• Selling Price: 250g per Melon
• Profit per Harvest: 170g
• Growth Time: 12 days
• Harvests per Season: 2
• Total Profit per Square: 340g over the season
• Processing:
  • Melon Jelly: 550g
  • Melon Wine: 750g
  • Dried Melon: 1900g, requires 5 Melon

Processing turns melons into even more lucrative products, especially with kegs and preserves jars.

Hot Pepper - 280g Profit per Square

Hot Peppers mature quickly and continue to produce every few days, making them a dependable source of incremental profit throughout the season.

• Seed Price: 40g
• Selling Price: 40g per Hot Pepper
• Profit per Harvest: 35g (after accounting for seed cost over multiple harvests)
• Growth Time: 5 days initial, then every 3 days
• Harvests per Season: 8
• Total Profit per Square: 280g over the season
• Processing:
  • Pickled Hot Pepper: 130g
  • Hot Pepper Juice: 90g
  • Dried Hot Pepper: 325g, requires 5 Hot Pepper

While the base price is modest, frequent harvests and pickling add substantial value.

Tomato - 250g Profit per Square

Tomatoes are a steady multi-harvest crop. Although each individual sale is not especially high, the number of harvests adds up to a decent overall profit.

• Seed Price: 50g
• Selling Price: 60g per Tomato
• Profit per Harvest: 50g (after accounting for seed cost over multiple harvests)
• Growth Time: 11 days initial, then every 4 days
• Harvests per Season: 5
• Total Profit per Square: 250g over the season
• Processing:
  • Pickled Tomato: 170g
  • Tomato Juice: 135g

Repeated harvests reduce the impact of the initial seed cost, making tomatoes a useful addition.

Radish - 200g Profit per Square

Radishes provide a quick return and can be replanted multiple times in one summer. Though not as profitable as some other options, they offer flexibility.

• Seed Price: 40g
• Selling Price: 90g per Radish
• Profit per Harvest: 50g
• Growth Time: 6 days
• Harvests per Season: 4
• Total Profit per Square: 200g over the season
• Processing:
  • Pickled Radish: 230g
  • Radish Juice: 203g

Frequent harvests keep fields active and profitable, filling gaps between larger crops.

Focusing on these top performers and refining planting schedules creates a more productive and profitable summer in Stardew Valley.