Stardew Valley Mushrooms or Bats: Why the Cave Choice Still Stresses People Out

So, you finally hit 25,000g in total earnings. Demetrius shows up at your door, looking all clinical and professional, and asks to use that dusty little cave on your property for an experiment. This is it. The big one. Choosing between Stardew Valley mushrooms or bats feels like a permanent life decision because, well, it kinda is. You can’t change it later without messing around in your save files, and honestly, most players just want to know which one stops them from getting stuck on the Community Center bundles for three seasons.

I’ve spent thousands of hours in Pelican Town. I’ve seen the "Fruit Bats are better" camp scream about the Greenhouse, and I’ve seen the "Mushroom" loyalists point to their Life Elixirs. It isn’t as simple as one being "the best." It’s about how much you hate checking your farm every single day and whether or not you actually enjoy foraging in the woods.

The Cold Hard Truth About Fruit Bats

Fruit bats are for the lazy. I say that with love. If you’re the type of player who forgets to pet your chickens or check your machines, bats are your best friend. They fly in, drop some fruit on the floor, and leave. The fruit stays there. It doesn’t rot. It doesn’t disappear. You could ignore that cave for an entire season, walk in on the 28th of Fall, and find a floor covered in pomegranates and spice berries.

This is the fast track to the CC (Community Center). To finish the Artisan Bundle or the Enchanter’s Bundle, you need fruit tree crops. Buying a Pomegranate or Apple sapling early in the game is a massive gold sink. We’re talking 4,000 to 6,000g when you’re still trying to upgrade your backpack. The bats give you a decent chance—not a guarantee, but a chance—to get those items for free.

But here’s the kicker: the quality is tied to your Foraging level. Early on, you’re getting normal-quality salmonberries. It feels bad. However, if you take the Botanist profession at Foraging Level 10, every single piece of fruit those bats drop will be Iridium quality. That’s a huge jump in value and healing potential. It turns a "meh" cave into a consistent source of high-tier gifts for the NPCs. Most of the town loves fruit.

Why the Mushroom Cave is a Constant Chore

Mushrooms are different. Demetrius sets up six boxes. Every couple of days—specifically every day in the original version, though 1.6 changed the rhythm slightly to favor a two-day cycle—they produce. You get Common Mushrooms, Red Mushrooms, Purple Mushrooms, Chanterelles, and Morels.

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It's consistent. You know exactly what you're getting.

The Mushroom cave is objectively better for "Life Elixir" crafting. If you spend your time deep in the Skull Cavern, you need big heals. Red and Purple mushrooms are essential ingredients for that. You aren't going to find Chanterelles in the wild during Winter, but your cave doesn't care about the snow. It keeps pumping them out.

But man, it’s annoying. You have to check it. If you don't harvest, the boxes just sit there full. They don't accumulate like the fruit does. If you miss a week, you’ve lost a week of production. It’s a job. Is it a high-paying job? Not really. It’s more of a "utility" choice.

The 1.6 Update Shook Things Up

ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) tweaked things in the 1.6 update. Now, the mushroom cave comes with a free Dehydrator. This is a game-changer for the early economy. You can shove five mushrooms in there and get Dried Mushrooms, which sell for a solid chunk of change. It makes the mushroom path much more viable for raw profit in the first year.

On the flip side, the bat cave now grants a small bonus to forage experience when you pick things up. It’s not game-breaking, but it helps you hit that Level 10 Botanist goal faster.

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Comparing the "Invisible" Benefits

Let's talk about the stuff people forget.

• Gifting: Almost everyone in Stardew likes fruit. Only a few people like mushrooms. If you pick bats, you have a pocket full of universal "likes."
• The Greenhouse: Once you unlock the Greenhouse, you can plant fruit trees inside. They produce every single day, forever. This eventually makes the fruit bat cave completely obsolete.
• Life Elixirs: You can eventually grow mushrooms in "Mushroom Logs" (another 1.6 addition). This makes the mushroom cave feel less "exclusive" than it used to be, but it still requires more setup than just walking into a cave Demetrius built for you.

If you’re a min-maxer, you’re probably looking at the Mushroom cave for the consistent energy. Eating a Common Mushroom in the early game is a great way to keep watering crops when your energy bar is flashing red. Fruit is less reliable for that because you might just get a bunch of Salmonberries which provide almost zero "oomph."

Which One Should You Actually Pick?

It depends on your stress levels.

Choose Fruit Bats if:

1. You want to finish the Community Center as fast as possible without buying expensive trees.
2. You hate daily chores and want to check the cave whenever you feel like it.
3. You want easy gifts for the villagers.
4. You are playing on the Meadowlands Farm (the one with the blue grass) because you already have a head start on animals but might lack foraging space.

Choose Mushrooms if:

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1. You are a combat-focused player who needs Life Elixirs for the Mines.
2. You want a steady, predictable income stream via the Dehydrator.
3. You are a "completionist" who wants to make sure they have a supply of rare mushrooms like Morels for cooking recipes (like Fried Mushroom).
4. You enjoy the routine of a daily farm circuit.

Most veteran players have shifted toward Mushrooms in recent years because the Dehydrator adds so much value. But for a first-time player? Bats save you a lot of headache with the bundles. There is nothing worse than realizing you need one Apple to finish a bundle and it's already the first day of Winter. Bats prevent that heartbreak.

Actionable Strategy for Your Farm

Regardless of what you choose, don't leave the cave empty. If you went with mushrooms, get into the habit of checking it every other morning right after you hit the shipping bin. If you went with bats, wait until the end of the week to clear it out so you aren't wasting time walking in there for a single Wild Plum.

Next, focus on your Foraging skill. Whether it's mushrooms or fruit, the quality of your cave's output is tied to your level. Chop those stumps on your farm. Gather every leek and spring onion you see. Once you hit level 10 and grab the Botanist profession, your cave transforms from a "neat little extra" into a high-quality production facility.

If you're already in Year 2 and realizing you hate your choice, don't restart. The 1.6 update introduced Mushroom Logs that you can craft and place anywhere. You can basically build your own mushroom forest outside while your bats handle the fruit. The game is forgiving like that. Just keep farming, keep mining, and don't let Demetrius's "science" talk distract you from the fact that it's your farm, not his.

Key Takeaways for Success

• Check the Cave Timing: Mushrooms produce every 2 days; Bats drop items randomly but they stack indefinitely on the floor.
• Prioritize Bundles: If the Community Center is your main goal, Bats provide the highest "shortcut" value.
• Maximize Profit: Use the Dehydrator for mushrooms and save Iridium-quality fruit for gifts or high-end wine if you have the patience.
• Don't Stress: Late-game items like Mushroom Logs and Greenhouse trees eventually make the cave choice a minor detail rather than a game-altering disaster.