Whether they want to or not,Stardew Valleyplayers will inevitably obtain a ton ofRed Mushroomsover the course of their playthroughs, but may have no idea what to do with them. They can be found in a variety of places: on certain floors in the mines, in the Secret Woods (and on Forest Farms) during Summer and Fall, fromTappersattached to Mushroom Trees, and, if the playerchose the mushroom cave, almost daily on their farm.

UnlikePurple Mushrooms, which are obviously useful as a source of energy, along withChanterelles, Morels, and Common Mushrooms, which can be used in certain cooking recipes,there’s no apparent use for Red Mushrooms at a glance. They’re actually more harmful than helpful; Red Mushrooms are technically poisonous, and will sap the player’s HP and energy once eaten. But since they’re somewhat rare and don’t sell for much, players may be led to believe that there’s some value in keeping them. And there is, even if it’s not readily apparent.

A Red Mushroom and Life Elixir in the Stardew Valley cave.

Red Mushrooms Are Important For Crafting

But Only In One Recipe

Red Mushroomscan technically be used in crafting, but are only really good for a single recipe:Life Elixirs, which are some of the most potent healing items inStardew Valley. Life Elixirs are different from the average healing item in that they don’t restore a flat amount of HP; they restore the player’s entire health bar in full. That makes them an excellent item for areas with difficult enemies, like the Skull Caverns.

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This recipe is unlocked once the player reaches Combat level 2, which should be easily doable after a few days in the mine, but may remain hidden on their crafting page if they don’t know where to look. Specifically, each Life Elixir requires a single Red Mushroom, in addition to a few other ingredients as seen in the recipe below.

Abigail looking surprised with a pink egg in Stardew Valley.

Life Elixirsdon’t require any special crafting stations;the player can create one from the regular old crafting menu wherever they are, as long as they have the ingredients. Other than that, there are relatively few things to be done with Red Mushrooms. They can be sold, but not for a great profit; they’re hated by every single villager except Penny, who merely dislikes them; and eating enough of them will literally kill the farmer.

Other Uses For Red Mushrooms

A Special Headscarf & Requests

There are, however,a couple of hidden uses for Red Mushrooms that might not be immediately apparent. First and foremost, one can be placed into aSewing Machinealongside a bolt of cloth to create aSpotted Headscarf. This adorable little piece of headwear resembles a babushka, and can be an excellent complementto certainStardewoutfits. However, it’s not at all necessary or helpful to gameplay; players should only seek it out if they want to wear it.

Other than that,Red Mushrooms may occasionally come up as the objects of Bulletin Board or Fish Pond quests, promising players a certain reward if they deliver enough of them on time. They may increase the player’sfriendship with certain villagersonce completed, or allow fish in a pond to continue spawning. Whether the player actually completes these objectives is generally up to them. Just don’t ask what the Wizard is doing with all that poison.

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And frankly, that’s about all a player can ever hope to do with Red Mushrooms. They’re certainly not the most useful items in the game (not even the most useful species of mushroom), but when put to good use, they can number among a player’s greatest allies.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.