Super Cucumbers in Stardew Valley: The Purple Profits and Hidden Secrets

Super Cucumber Helper Tool

When & Where Finder Fish Pond Calculator Usage Optimizer

When & Where to Catch Super Cucumbers

Current Season: Spring Summer Fall Winter

Current Time: Morning (6 AM - 12 PM) Afternoon (12 PM - 6 PM) Evening (6 PM - 12 AM) Night (12 AM - 2 AM)

Available Locations:

Pelican Town Beach

Beach Farm

Ginger Island

Night Market Submarine

Fishing Level: 6

Equipment:

Bamboo Pole Fiberglass Rod Iridium Rod

No Bait Regular Bait Wild Bait Magic Bait

No Tackle Trap Bobber Cork Bobber Lead Bobber Curiosity Lure

Find Super Cucumber Locations

Your Super Cucumber Fishing Results

Fishing Tips:

Super Cucumber Fish Pond Calculator

Pond Population: 10

Calculation Period (Days):

Production Enhancers:

Artisan Profession

Using Preserves Jars

Calculate Pond Production

Pond Production Results

Super Cucumber Roe

0

Value: 0g

Iridium Ore

0

Value: 0g

Amethyst

0

Value: 0g

Total Value

0g

Daily: 0g

Comparison to Other Fish Ponds

Fish Type	Est. Value/Day	Special Products
Super Cucumber	Calculating...	Iridium Ore, Amethyst
Lava Eel	212g	Spicy Eel, Magma Geodes
Sturgeon	160g	Caviar (unique)
Blobfish	174g	Pearls

Super Cucumber Usage Optimizer

Current Game Year: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3+

Game Milestones:

Community Center Complete

Ginger Island Unlocked

Statue of Perfection Obtained

??HMTGF?? Statue Obtained

Resources & Priorities:

Need Iridium

Building Wizard Friendship

Focused on Max Profit

Decorating Farm/Home

Super Cucumbers Available:

Get Optimal Usage Strategy

Super Cucumber Optimization Results

Recommended Priority Order

Priority	Usage	Amount	Benefit

Long-term Strategy

Super Cucumber Helper Tool — Based on Stardew Valley data as of Update 1.6

Stardew Valley is a game by ConcernedApe. This is a fan-made tool.

Super Cucumbers in Stardew Valley: The Purple Profits and Hidden Secrets

Looking for Super Cucumbers in Stardew Valley? These elusive purple fish are caught in the ocean during Summer and Fall evenings (6 PM to 2 AM), or anytime on Ginger Island regardless of season. With a fishing difficulty of 80, they’re challenging but reward you with a 250g base sell price, the ability to create fish ponds that produce iridium ore, and access to a secret statue. For immediate results, head to the beach docks after 6 PM in Summer or Fall with at least Fishing Level 6, use bait on a Fiberglass Rod, and prepare for their rapid sinking movement pattern. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about these valuable underwater treasures.

Where and When to Catch Super Cucumbers

Super Cucumbers aren’t your everyday fish in Stardew Valley. These rare purple delicacies require specific conditions to appear on your fishing line. Understanding exactly when and where to look for them will save you hours of frustration.

Seasonal Availability and Time Requirements

Super Cucumbers have strict requirements for when they can be caught. Unlike some fish that are available throughout daylight hours, these nocturnal creatures only emerge during specific times:

The night-time restriction makes Super Cucumbers somewhat challenging to plan around, especially if you have other evening activities like mining or socializing with villagers. During Summer and Fall, make sure to set aside some evening time specifically for cucumber fishing. Since they’re only available until 2 AM, you’ll need to be efficient with your fishing to maximize your catches before passing out from exhaustion.

The 1.5 update’s addition of Ginger Island created a year-round location for catching Super Cucumbers without time constraints. If you’ve unlocked this area, it becomes the most reliable spot for consistent cucumber fishing regardless of your in-game calendar.

A useful trick for Winter: If you missed catching Super Cucumbers during Summer or Fall, you can still obtain them during the Night Market submarine ride, which is available on the 15th-17th of Winter. The chance is relatively low (only 4%, or 7% with a Curiosity Lure), but it’s still an option if you’re desperate for one during the off-season.

Best Fishing Locations

Super Cucumbers can be caught in several specific locations throughout Stardew Valley:

1. The Beach (Pelican Town) - The standard ocean area accessible from Pelican Town is the most common place to catch Super Cucumbers. The dock extends your casting range, allowing you to reach deeper water where these fish are more likely to bite (Summer/Fall, 6 PM-2 AM).

2. Beach Farm - If you selected the Beach Farm layout when starting your game, you can catch Super Cucumbers right on your property, which is incredibly convenient. This only works during the standard Summer/Fall evening hours.

3. Ginger Island - Available in the southern, southeastern, and western ocean areas, as well as the Pirate Cove. This tropical paradise allows you to catch Super Cucumbers regardless of season or time of day, making it the ultimate location once you’ve unlocked it.

4. Night Market Submarine - During the Winter Night Market (15th-17th Winter), you can pay 1,000g for a submarine ride that allows you to fish in deep ocean waters. Super Cucumbers have a small chance to appear here.

For beginners or players in their first year, the easiest access point is The Beach in Pelican Town during Summer or Fall evenings. The dock provides the perfect spot to cast your line into deeper waters. Just remember to bring bait and a good rod to maximize your chances.

Players on the Nintendo Switch should be aware of a potential glitch where ocean fish (including Super Cucumbers) might appear in freshwater areas on Ginger Island. While this can actually work to your advantage, it’s not intended behavior and may be patched in future updates.

Fishing Difficulty and Level Requirements

Super Cucumbers are not beginner-friendly fish. With a difficulty rating of 80, they’re considered moderately challenging to catch, especially for players with lower fishing skills. They exhibit a “sinker” behavior pattern, meaning they tend to drop rapidly toward the bottom of the fishing bar during the catching minigame.

To successfully catch Super Cucumbers consistently:

• Minimum Recommended Fishing Level: 6-7 (higher is better)
• Recommended Rod: Fiberglass Rod or Iridium Rod
• Helpful Tackles (with Iridium Rod):
  • Trap Bobber (slows bar movement when fish isn’t being reeled in)
  • Cork Bobber (increases bar size)
  • Curiosity Lure (for Night Market submarine only)
• Fishing Skill Boosts:
  • Trout Soup: +1 Fishing (purchasable from Willy for 250g)
  • Dish O’ The Sea: +3 Fishing
  • Seafoam Pudding: +4 Fishing (best option but harder to craft)

The fishing minigame for Super Cucumbers can be challenging due to their rapid sinking behavior. When playing the minigame, be prepared to quickly tap or click to counteract their downward momentum. Many experienced players recommend using a clicking pattern rather than holding the button down continuously for more precise control.

“I never hold the click as I find it easier to maintain the fish at the middle of the green bar,” suggests one experienced player. With practice, you’ll start to recognize the pattern and anticipate the Super Cucumber’s movements, making them progressively easier to catch.

If you’re struggling with the fishing minigame, consider focusing on catching easier fish first to level up your fishing skill. Each level increases your green bar size and makes handling difficult fish considerably easier.

Alternative Acquisition Methods

If fishing isn’t your forte or you’re having trouble catching Super Cucumbers, don’t worry! There are several alternative ways to obtain them:

1. Garbage Cans - There’s a small chance to find Super Cucumbers in garbage cans around town during Summer and Fall. Check them daily, but be aware that villagers (except Linus) will lose friendship points if they see you digging through trash.

2. Traveling Cart - The merchant who appears in Cindersap Forest on Fridays and Sundays sometimes sells Super Cucumbers for 750-1,250g. This is expensive compared to catching them yourself but provides a guaranteed option if you need one urgently.

3. Statue of Endless Fortune - This luxury item (costing 10,000,000g from the Casino) will produce one Super Cucumber per year on the Wizard’s birthday (Winter 17). Obviously, this isn’t a practical primary source but is a nice bonus if you already have the statue.

4. Magic Bait - Introduced in the 1.5 update, this special bait allows you to catch any fish regardless of season, time, or weather conditions. If you have access to Magic Bait, you can catch Super Cucumbers in any fishable water at any time.

For new players or those in their first year, checking garbage cans is a free, albeit unreliable, method. The Traveling Cart is more dependable but expensive. If you need a Super Cucumber for a specific purpose (like the secret statue) and don’t want to wait for the right fishing conditions, the cart is your best option.

PC players who find fishing too difficult might consider mods like “Fishing Made Easy Suite,” which offers various options to adjust fishing difficulty and fish availability. However, remember that mods are only available for PC players and might affect your vanilla gameplay experience.

What to Do With Super Cucumbers

So you’ve finally caught a Super Cucumber (or several) - now what? These purple fish offer surprising versatility in how they can be utilized. Let’s explore all the possibilities to help you maximize their value.

Selling for Maximum Profit

The most straightforward use for Super Cucumbers is selling them for gold. They have a respectable base sell value of 250g, which can be increased by quality and profession bonuses:

If you’re focused on maximizing profit from Super Cucumbers, the Angler profession (level 10 Fishing choice) provides the best returns with a 50% price increase. For context, an Iridium-quality Super Cucumber can sell for 750g with the Angler profession - a significant boost over the base value.

While selling provides immediate gold, there are several other uses that might provide more long-term value or unique benefits than simply converting your Super Cucumbers to cash.

Gifting to Villagers

Super Cucumbers can significantly impact your relationships with villagers - both positively and negatively:

The Wizard stands out as the only villager who loves Super Cucumbers, making them an excellent gift choice when building friendship with him. This is particularly valuable since the Wizard unlocks special content like building construction and magical buildings as your friendship increases.

For maximum efficiency, save a high-quality Super Cucumber to give to the Wizard on his birthday (Winter 17), as birthday gifts provide 8x the normal friendship points. This strategy is especially effective if you’re aiming to unlock the Wizard’s friendship-locked content quickly.

Be careful about giving Super Cucumbers to other villagers - the majority dislike them, and some (Elliott, Evelyn, Haley, and Pierre) actively hate receiving them. These negative reactions will harm your friendship levels instead of improving them.

Crafting and Cooking Uses

Super Cucumbers can be used in several recipes and crafting formulas:

While Super Cucumbers can be used in these recipes, they’re generally not the most economical choice due to their relatively high value compared to common fish. Using a 250g Super Cucumber to create a 75g Sashimi doesn’t make financial sense unless you desperately need the energy boost.

However, Super Cucumbers do have unique crafting applications outside of cooking. They can be used with a sewing machine to create a Tube Top clothing item or as a purple dye in the dye pots at Emily and Haley’s house. These options allow you to create distinctive clothing items or dye existing clothes purple.

Additionally, Super Cucumbers can occasionally appear as requested items on the “Help Wanted” board outside Pierre’s shop. Fulfilling these requests earns you 750g and 150 friendship points with the requesting villager, which can be a nice bonus if you happen to have a spare cucumber available.

Obtaining the Secret ??HMTGF?? Statue

One of the most unique uses for a Super Cucumber is obtaining the mysterious ??HMTGF?? statue - a secret Easter egg hidden in Stardew Valley:

1. Obtain a Super Cucumber through fishing or one of the alternative methods
2. Head to Pelican Town, specifically to the area north of Clint’s Blacksmith shop
3. Look for a fenced area with a brown box inside
4. Find the hidden gap in the fence behind a tree on the right side of the enclosure
5. Approach the brown box and place your Super Cucumber inside
6. You’ll receive the enigmatic ??HMTGF?? statue in return

This unusual statue serves primarily as a decorative item and a badge of honor showing you’ve discovered one of the game’s hidden secrets. Prior to the 1.4 update, this interaction would consume your entire stack of Super Cucumbers, but now it correctly takes only one.

The statue can be placed like any other piece of furniture by holding the left-click button or using a tool. It makes for an interesting conversation piece in your farmhouse or shed.

While the statue doesn’t have any practical function, collecting it is a rite of passage for many Stardew Valley completionists. Some players have speculated about deeper meanings behind the ??HMTGF?? name, but the developer has kept its significance mysterious.

Fish Pond Investment Value

Perhaps the most valuable long-term use for Super Cucumbers is establishing a fish pond. Fish ponds allow you to breed fish and collect various resources from them over time.

To create a Super Cucumber fish pond:

1. Visit Robin’s Carpenter Shop and select “Construct Farm Buildings”
2. Choose Fish Pond (costs 5,000g, 200 Stone, 5 Seaweed, and 5 Green Algae)
3. Place the pond on your farm and wait for construction to complete
4. Add your Super Cucumber to the pond
5. Wait for it to reproduce and respond to population quests to increase capacity

What makes Super Cucumber ponds particularly valuable is their unique production capabilities:

• Super Cucumber Roe - The standard product, can be processed in a Preserves Jar for higher value
• Iridium Ore (1-3) - Available when population reaches 9+ fish
• Amethyst (1) - Available when population reaches 9+ fish

The production of Iridium Ore is what sets Super Cucumber ponds apart from most other fish ponds. Iridium is one of the most valuable and difficult-to-obtain resources in the game, especially in the early to mid-game before you have consistent access to the Skull Cavern or Grandpa’s Statue of Perfection.

According to player calculations, a fully populated Super Cucumber pond (10 fish) produces approximately 2.8 Iridium Ore and 2.8 Amethysts per season. While this might not sound impressive, it provides a passive source of Iridium that requires no effort or risk once established.

“I like making a fish pond for super cucumbers! They occasionally give iridium which can be helpful if you find the skull caverns difficult,” recommends one player. This is particularly valuable advice for players who struggle with the combat aspects of the game but still want access to high-tier materials.

Fish Pond Mechanics for Super Cucumbers

Fish ponds are a farming feature that allows you to raise fish and harvest various products from them. Super Cucumber ponds have unique characteristics that make them especially valuable in the mid-game.

Setting Up Your First Cucumber Pond

Creating and populating a Super Cucumber fish pond requires several steps:

1. Build the Pond - Visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop and select “Construct Farm Buildings.” A Fish Pond costs 5,000g, 200 Stone, 5 Seaweed, and 5 Green Algae. The construction takes 3 days.

2. Add Your First Super Cucumber - Once the pond is built, interact with it and place a single Super Cucumber inside. This is your initial breeding stock.

3. Wait for Reproduction - The fish will eventually reproduce (this can take several days), increasing the population up to the current maximum (starting at 3).

4. Check for Population Quests - When the pond reaches its current maximum capacity, it will eventually trigger a quest asking for specific items to increase the maximum capacity.

It’s important to note that population quests don’t trigger immediately when the pond reaches its maximum. You need to leave the fish at maximum capacity for several days (sometimes 4+ days for Super Cucumbers) before a quest will appear.

As one player discovered, “I was not leaving the fish at max capacity in the pond for long enough. Hope this helps someone else down the line who might run into the same issue as me!”. If your quest isn’t triggering, patience is key.

Population Growth and Quest Requirements

Super Cucumber ponds start with a maximum population of 3 fish. To increase this limit, you’ll need to complete a series of quests by providing requested items:

Each time you fulfill a quest, your pond’s maximum capacity will increase, allowing your Super Cucumbers to reproduce further. The ultimate goal is reaching the maximum capacity of 10 fish, which provides the highest chance of receiving valuable items like Iridium Ore and Amethyst.

It’s worth noting that the fish need time to reproduce between reaching each population threshold. Don’t be concerned if it takes several days for your population to grow from 3 to 5 after completing the first quest. The reproduction rate isn’t immediate.

Resources Produced by Super Cucumber Ponds

Super Cucumber ponds can produce several valuable items:

The primary product is Super Cucumber Roe, which appears frequently and can be placed in a Preserves Jar to create Aged Roe. With the Artisan profession, this can be quite profitable.

However, the real treasure is the occasional Iridium Ore. While the production rate isn’t massive (about 2.8 ores per season with a full pond), it provides a passive source of this rare resource without requiring dangerous trips to Skull Cavern.

Amethysts are also produced at the same rate as Iridium Ore and can be useful for gifting to Abigail (who loves them) or for crafting recipes like the Farm Computer.

It’s crucial to maintain a high population (9+ fish) to receive the valuable items. At 8 or fewer fish, the pond will only produce roe. If you fish out Super Cucumbers to sell or use elsewhere, make sure to leave at least 9 in the pond to continue receiving Iridium Ore.

Value Comparison with Other Fish Ponds

While Super Cucumber ponds are valuable, they’re not the only fish worth considering for your limited farm space. Here’s how they compare to other popular options:

Lava Eels generally provide the most valuable roe and useful products for Skull Cavern runs, while Sturgeon is the only source of Caviar, which is required for some quests and bundles.

Rainbow Trout technically can produce Prismatic Shards, but the chance is extremely low (0.02%), meaning you’d expect to get only about one shard every 5,000 in-game days, making it an impractical source.

One player summarizes the comparison well: “Lava eel for the best roe and magma geodes… And their delicious Spicy Eels for Skull Cavern runs”. If pure profit is your goal, Lava Eels generally win out.

For most players, the ideal strategy is to have multiple ponds with different fish depending on your current game needs. In the early-mid game, Super Cucumber ponds are excellent for their Iridium Ore production, while later in the game, Lava Eel ponds become more valuable for their high-value roe and useful buffs.

Super Cucumbers After the 1.6 Update

The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley, released on March 19, 2024 for PC (with console and mobile versions following on November 4, 2024), brought several changes that affect Super Cucumbers and fishing in general.

Changes to Fishing Mechanics

While there weren’t specific changes targeting Super Cucumbers directly, several fishing-related updates affect how all fish, including Super Cucumbers, are caught and utilized:

1. Fixed Harvesting Direction Bug - Prior to 1.6, harvesting (including fishing) was faster when moving left-to-right compared to right-to-left. This has been fixed to make both directions equally fast. This means there’s no longer an advantage to positioning yourself on the left side of fishing spots.

2. Jars and Bottles Update - Preserved goods like jellies, pickles, wines, and juices are now colored based on the ingredient item. This means that products made from Super Cucumbers will have a distinctive purple appearance, adding visual variety to your storage and displays.

3. World Map Updates - The world map now shows your actual position in real-time rather than showing a fixed point for each location. In multiplayer, you’ll also see other players’ positions in real-time. This makes coordinating fishing trips with friends much easier, especially when hunting for specific fish like Super Cucumbers.

4. Reduced Pet Blocking - The time required to push past pets blocking your path has been reduced from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds. This small quality-of-life improvement can save precious time when rushing to fishing spots in the evening to catch time-limited fish like Super Cucumbers.

5. Mastery System - The new Mastery System allows players to continue progressing beyond level 10 in all skills, including fishing. This provides additional incentives for continued fishing and potentially new ways to make fishing for challenging catches like Super Cucumbers more rewarding.

New Farm Types and Fishing Opportunities

The 1.6 update introduced the Meadowlands Farm, designed specifically with animal husbandry in mind. This farm type starts with a free coop and two chickens and features a special type of grass called Chewy Blue Grass that animals love.

For fishing enthusiasts, the Meadowlands Farm includes a river and two ponds on the property, providing convenient fishing locations. However, it’s important to note that Super Cucumbers specifically require ocean access, which is not available on the farm itself regardless of farm type.

The only farm type that allows catching ocean fish (including Super Cucumbers during the right seasons and times) directly on your property is the Beach Farm, which was introduced in the 1.5 update. If you’re specifically focused on Super Cucumbers, the Beach Farm remains the most convenient option.

However, the Meadowlands Farm’s inclusion of freshwater fishing spots does provide more overall fishing opportunities, even if they don’t include Super Cucumbers. This can be beneficial for leveling up your fishing skill or catching other types of fish without leaving your farm.

Mastery System Benefits for Fishing

The Mastery System is one of the most significant additions in the 1.6 update, providing new progression options beyond level 10 in each skill. For fishing, this opens up new possibilities to enhance your Super Cucumber catching abilities.

The Mastery Cave, located near the bottom of Cindersap Forest, contains skill shrines that become accessible once you’ve reached level 10 in a skill. The Fishing shrine allows you to spend Mastery Points to gain new fishing-related abilities.

Mastery Points are earned by continuing to perform activities in a skill after reaching level 10. For Fishing Mastery, catching more challenging fish like Super Cucumbers will help fill your Mastery gauge faster than catching easy fish.

While the specific Mastery benefits haven’t been fully documented in our sources, they likely include improvements to fishing bar size, movement control, and possibly increased chances for higher-quality fish - all of which would make catching Super Cucumbers easier and more profitable.

This system provides long-term players with new goals and rewards for continuing to fish, even after reaching the previous maximum level. If you’re focusing on Super Cucumbers, investing in Fishing Mastery will likely make obtaining them significantly easier over time.

Troubleshooting and Tips

Even with the right time, location, and equipment, fishing for Super Cucumbers can sometimes be challenging. Here are solutions for common issues and tips to enhance your fishing experience.

Advanced Fishing Techniques

Super Cucumbers have a difficulty rating of 80 and tend to sink rapidly during the fishing minigame. This can make them frustrating to catch, especially for players with low fishing skill. Here are some techniques to help:

1. Click Control Method - Instead of holding down the button, try clicking and releasing to maintain more precise control over the green bar. As one experienced player notes, “I never hold the click as I find it easier to maintain the fish at the middle of the green bar”. This allows for quicker reactions to the Super Cucumber’s movement patterns.

2. Bar Positioning - Try to anticipate the fish’s movement and position your bar slightly ahead of where you expect it to go. For Super Cucumbers, which tend to sink, this often means keeping your bar positioned slightly below the fish icon.

3. Sound Cues - Pay attention to the audio cues when fishing. As one fisher advises, “Once you cast the rod, listen to the signal. Once you get used to it, you can practically ignore the screen and just click when the signal is there”. This can help you time your initial hook perfectly.

4. Eat for Success - Consume foods that boost your fishing skill before attempting to catch Super Cucumbers:

   • Trout Soup: +1 Fishing (purchasable from Willy for 250g)
   • Fish Stew: +3 Fishing
   • Seafoam Pudding: +4 Fishing (best option but harder to craft)

5. Strategic Tackle - With an Iridium Rod, you can use tackle to make catching fish easier:

   • Trap Bobber: Decreases the rate at which the bar falls when not reeling in a fish
   • Cork Bobber: Increases the size of your fishing bar
   • Lead Bobber: Prevents your green bar from bouncing when it hits the bottom

Remember that your fishing skill naturally increases as you catch more fish, so if you’re struggling, try catching easier fish first to level up your skill before attempting Super Cucumbers again.

Common Glitches and Fixes

While Super Cucumbers themselves aren’t particularly glitchy, there are a few known issues related to fishing that might affect your ability to catch them:

1. Ginger Island Fishing Location Glitch - Some players on the Nintendo Switch have reported a glitch where ocean fish (including Super Cucumbers) can be caught in freshwater locations on Ginger Island. One player reports: “I’m reeling in ocean fish! I’ve gotten lionfish, super cucumber, tuna, sea jelly! Am I going crazy…?”

   Solution: If you encounter this glitch and are trying to catch freshwater fish, try fishing in the stream near the excavation site instead of the pond. Alternatively, you could take advantage of the glitch to catch Super Cucumbers in more convenient locations.

2. Fish Pond Quest Not Triggering - Some players have reported issues with fish pond population quests not triggering when expected.

   Solution: Make sure you leave the fish pond at maximum capacity for several days (4+ days for Super Cucumbers). The quest doesn’t trigger immediately when the population reaches the maximum. One player who solved this issue explained, “It did trigger once I left the fish in for a longer period of time; I guess I was fishing them out too soon”.

3. Fishing Bar Responsiveness - Some players experience issues with the fishing bar feeling unresponsive or falling too quickly.

   Solution: This is often related to frame rate issues. Try closing background applications, reducing graphics settings, or verifying game file integrity through your game launcher. For console players, restarting the console can sometimes help.

If you encounter persistent glitches that aren’t resolved by these solutions, check the official Stardew Valley forums or subreddit for recent reports and potential fixes. The game receives regular updates that address known issues.

Mods to Enhance Cucumber Acquisition

If you’re playing on PC, mods can significantly change your fishing experience. One popular mod that affects Super Cucumbers is the “Fishing Made Easy Suite” and its expansion for Stardew Valley Expanded.

This mod offers numerous options to customize fishing difficulty and fish availability:

1. All-Season Fishing - Makes all fish, including Super Cucumbers, available in every season
2. All-Time Fishing - Removes time-of-day restrictions
3. Increased Spawn Rates - Makes rare fish like Super Cucumbers more common
4. No Fishing Minigame - Completely removes the fishing minigame challenge
5. Fish Pond Enhancements - Increases the rare loot spawn chances from fish ponds
6. Fish Value Adjustments - Can increase or decrease the sell value of fish

Specific to Super Cucumbers, the mod includes options like:

• “Legendary Fish On Farm” - Allows catching any fish (including Super Cucumbers) on your farm
• “Fish Pond Prismatic Shards” - Makes all fish ponds, including Super Cucumber ponds, have a chance to spawn Prismatic Shards when full
• “Crab Pots No Trash” - Ensures crab pots only yield fish and not garbage

To install this mod:

1. Install SMAPI (Stardew Modding API)
2. Install Content Patcher
3. Download the “Fishing Made Easy Suite” mod from Nexus Mods
4. Extract it to your Stardew Valley/Mods folder
5. Launch the game through SMAPI

Remember that mods are only available for PC players and can potentially cause compatibility issues with future game updates. Always back up your save files before installing mods.

Optimizing Your Cucumber Strategy by Game Stage

To get the most value from Super Cucumbers, consider integrating them into your overall farm strategy based on your current game stage:

Early Game (Year 1)

• Focus on catching and selling Super Cucumbers during Summer and Fall evenings for immediate profit
• Save one high-quality Super Cucumber for the Wizard’s birthday if possible
• Keep one aside for the secret statue if you want to collect it early
• Don’t build a fish pond yet unless you have excess resources and really need Iridium

Mid Game (Year 2-3)

• Build 1-2 Super Cucumber ponds once you can afford them
• Maintain at least 9 fish in each pond to produce Iridium Ore and Amethyst
• Use the Iridium Ore to craft sprinklers and upgrade tools before you can reliably explore Skull Cavern
• Consider the Fisher profession if you’re still actively catching and selling fish

Late Game (Year 4+)

• Evaluate whether Super Cucumber ponds are still valuable to you compared to Lava Eel ponds
• Consider keeping one Super Cucumber pond for aesthetic reasons (the purple water) and a steady supply of Amethysts for gifting
• If you’ve completed Grandpa’s evaluation with 4 candles, the Statue of Perfection will provide more Iridium than fish ponds
• The Artisan profession becomes more valuable than Fisher at this stage if you’re processing fish pond products

One veteran player advises: “I just like having [fish ponds] though so I have them anyway… [I use mine to breed] Super Cucumber (for Lucky Lunches), Midnight Carp, and Squid (For Seafoam Pudding)”. This highlights how late-game players often shift from using Super Cucumbers for Iridium to using them as ingredients for powerful buff foods.

By thoughtfully incorporating Super Cucumbers into your overall strategy and adjusting their use as your game progresses, you can maximize their value throughout all stages of your Stardew Valley experience.

Conclusion

Super Cucumbers represent one of Stardew Valley’s most versatile resources, offering multiple benefits beyond their initial sell value. From providing a steady source of Iridium Ore through fish ponds to unlocking a secret statue and serving as a perfect gift for the Wizard, these purple denizens of the deep reward players who take the time to master their acquisition.

The 1.6 update’s Mastery System and quality-of-life improvements further enhance the fishing experience, allowing dedicated anglers to continue progressing beyond the previous skill ceiling. While Super Cucumbers haven’t changed dramatically in this update, the overall fishing improvements make them more accessible and enjoyable to catch.

Whether you’re a beginning farmer just trying to catch your first Super Cucumber, a mid-game player establishing fish ponds for Iridium production, or a late-game completionist collecting every secret in the valley, these purple fish have something to offer at every stage of your farming journey.

So grab your fishing rod, head to the beach as the sun sets over Pelican Town, and try your luck at catching these valuable underwater treasures. Your patience and perseverance will be rewarded with one of Stardew Valley’s most useful and mysterious creatures.

Action Steps Recap

Catch Super Cucumbers in the ocean during Summer/Fall from 6 PM - 2 AM or anytime on Ginger Island, build a fish pond with at least 9 fish for passive Iridium Ore production, and don’t forget to donate one to the brown box north of the Blacksmith for the secret ??HMTGF?? statue!

Further Resources

• Stardew Valley Official Wiki - Super Cucumber Page
• Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Official Patch Notes
• Fishing Made Easy Suite Mod
• Stardew Valley Fishing Guide

Super Cucumber Patch History