The first time a Stardew Valley player comes across an Ancient Seed, they may not know exactly what to do with it. Ancient Seeds are exceptionally rare, only ever found in artifact dig spots in the Cindersap Forest or the Mountain. They scarcely spawn even there, with a 0.7% chance of appearing each time the player digs up a plot, and may take several in-game years to find.

By the time a player comes across their first of these exceedingly unusual artifacts, they're familiar enough with the ins and outs of seeds in Stardew Valley: plant them, and something will grow. But unlike other in-game seeds, there are no details in the Ancient Seed's flavor text: no season or growing time, just a suggestion that Gunther might know more if they were to donate it to the museum. But many players will be loath to part with such a rare artifact, just as they may have been when they found their first Prismatic Shard. Thankfully, the choice isn't as complicated as it seems.

What To Do With Ancient Seeds In Stardew Valley

They Belong In A Museum

Unfortunately, the first Ancient Seed the player finds won't actually grow anything. If they try to plant it, they'll only be met with an error message. As a matter of fact, players will have to donate their first Ancient Seed to the museum in order to gain a plantable version. Immediately after doing so, they'll unlock a new reward at the museum: a single pack of plantable Ancient Seeds, and the crafting recipe to make more of them. This only requires a single Ancient Seed to craft.

With that, players can return to the farm and plant their new Ancient Seeds immediately. They can be planted in any season in which crops grow (Spring, Summer, or Fall), and take a full 28 days to produce a single Ancient Fruit.

If the player somehow finds a plantable Ancient Seed before the artifact version, they can put the plantable version into a Deconstructor to gain the artifact.

Ancient Fruit Is Extremely Valuable

Making Millions Off Ancient Fruit Wine

Although the first Ancient Seed is better off donated, players will want to start growing Ancient Fruit as soon as possible, as it's one of the most valuable crops in the entire game. At the base selling price, an average quality Ancient Fruit sells for 550g, making it the second-most expensive crop, only sured by significant income in Stardew Valley.

Once the player has set up a handful of Kegs and Seed Makers, and has upgraded their house to include a cellar, they can set up a highly profitable Ancient Fruit Wine operation. Simply keep a constant supply of Ancient Fruit growing in the greenhouse, converting a handful of each harvest into more seeds, and putting the rest directly into kegs. Once the wine is ready, age it up to iridium quality in the cellar to make 4,620g a pop.

So, while the player's first Ancient Seed may not be useful in the way they expect, it can eventually be turned into a very valuable source of income. Putting the first one to good use, though, is vital in setting oneself up for success in Stardew Valley.