How to prepare food most efficiently?

[BEEFcz]

Hello, I'm kinda new to Don't Starve (started playing one week ago), and I don't know what's the best thing to prepare/get food (my daily food is like 3 berries, 1 carrot and few seeds, so I'm not doing that good). I started with crock pot, but that thing needs a lot of food, and gives not so good meal in return. Now I'm experimenting with Drying rack, but you need a lot of time to make one jerky, so you can't rely just on that, because you would starve in the meantime. Also, I created a little Berry bush farm (also fertilized it) and the berries just don't want to grow (it's autmn, so they should grow, right?)

So, what would you recommend me? I'm looking for any tips!
Thank you

[aredshroom]

Try this crockpot simulator, you can play around. This would help too: http://dont-starve-game.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

 

Meanwhile, if you have meat (morsels/monster meat) and a farm of berries, try starting out with meatballs (1 meat + 3 veggies/fruit). Do not throw your 1 carrot + 3 berries in the pot! It's not worth it, haha. I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but try putting a balanced amount of meat and fruit/veg in the crockpot. Any mushrooms count as 1 veg. Some specific recipes below.

 

Honey is a great ingredient for Honey Ham (2 Big Meats + 2 Honey), but you'll need to make Bee Boxes for that. Honey Nuggets (1 small meat + 2 berries/fruit + 1 honey) are the lesser equivalent of Honey Ham, but still great.

 

If you have a steady supply of big meats, try Meaty Stew (2 small meats + 2 big meats). If you have a steady supply of eggs whether from Tallbirds or from a birdcage, try making Bacon and Eggs (2 eggs + 2 big meats). Always remember, monster meat counts as 1 big meat, but never put more than one in.

Hope that helps!

 

Also, I created a little Berry bush farm (also fertilized it) and the berries just don't want to grow (it's autmn, so they should grow, right?)

Fertilized bushes should grow berries, yeah.

[Kellyc764]

Well hopefully you've got the wiki bookmarked, just in case you haven't - http://dont-starve-game.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

I've always got it set to crock pot recipes btw xD

 

First off, berry bushes are good, but they take a few days to grow back berries, and you'll have to re-fertilize them every 6-8 harvests I think it is. Make sure you're cooking them as well - Uncooked recovers 9.4 hunger, cooked recovers 12.5 so it's better that way.

 

Crock Pots are really good but resource heavy and only start to really shine when you've got meat to add in there.

 

For instance, one meat (small morsel, monster meat included) plus 3 berries recovers 62.5 Hunger

Opposed to eaten individually which works out as - Small morsel 12.5 and 3 cooked berries at 12.5 = 50 Hunger

Even better when you have Monster Meat which albeit recovers 18.5 hunger at the cost of health and sanity, but even so it still falls short of the 62.5 you'll get from the Crock Pot.

 

As I'm typing this @aredshroom has just beaten me to the punch xD

 

I will say though Drying Racks are handy for preserving meat that is about to rot since it'll start off again as a fresh jerky with a 20 day spoil time.

And even though it may be redundant to you at the moment, finding a chess peice with a few mobs around it, killing them and obtaining Gears is something you should look at in order to make an Ice Box, which keeps food fresh twice as long. It can be really handy to help you manage your food better.

 

In terms of other food sources, my usual go to is killing Spiders, Catcoons, Volt Goats, Vultures, Rabbits and Werepigs. Also pick any mushrooms you find to use as fillers in the crock pot instead of your berries.

[aredshroom]

As I'm typing this @aredshroom has just beaten me to the punch xD

 

I will say though Drying Racks are handy for preserving meat that is about to rot since it'll start off again as a fresh jerky with a 20 day spoil time.

And even though it may be redundant to you at the moment, finding a chess peice with a few mobs around it, killing them and obtaining Gears is something you should look at in order to make an Ice Box, which keeps food fresh twice as long. It can be really handy to help you manage your food better.

 

In terms of other food sources, my usual go to is killing Spiders, Catcoons, Volt Goats, Vultures, Rabbits and Werepigs. Also pick any mushrooms you find to use as fillers in the crock pot instead of your berries.

Hey, more info helps! Yep, you should look into getting an Ice Box asap, especially if you have the DLC. Should note that he's posting this in General Discussion, so he might not be playing on RoG. In that case, Drying Racks don't spoil your jerkies.

 

Edit: Brain has been derpy tonight. Second misreading in a night. Argh! oxo

[BEEFcz]

Try this crockpot simulator, you can play around. This would help too: http://dont-starve-game.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

 

Meanwhile, if you have meat (morsels/monster meat) and a farm of berries, try starting out with meatballs (1 meat + 3 veggies/fruit). Do not throw your 1 carrot + 3 berries in the pot! It's not worth it, haha. I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but try putting a balanced amount of meat and fruit/veg in the crockpot. Any mushrooms count as 1 veg. Some specific recipes below.

 

Honey is a great ingredient for Honey Ham (2 Big Meats + 2 Honey), but you'll need to make Bee Boxes for that. Honey Nuggets (1 small meat + 2 berries/fruit + 1 honey) are the lesser equivalent of Honey Ham, but still great.

 

If you have a steady supply of big meats, try Meaty Stew (2 small meats + 2 big meats). If you have a steady supply of eggs whether from Tallbirds or from a birdcage, try making Bacon and Eggs (2 eggs + 2 big meats). Always remember, monster meat counts as 1 big meat, but never put more than one in.

Hope that helps!

 

 

Fertilized bushes should grow berries, yeah.

 

 

Well hopefully you've got the wiki bookmarked, just in case you haven't - http://dont-starve-game.wikia.com/wiki/Crock_Pot

I've always got it set to crock pot recipes btw xD

 

First off, berry bushes are good, but they take a few days to grow back berries, and you'll have to re-fertilize them every 6-8 harvests I think it is. Make sure you're cooking them as well - Uncooked recovers 9.4 hunger, cooked recovers 12.5 so it's better that way.

 

Crock Pots are really good but resource heavy and only start to really shine when you've got meat to add in there.

 

For instance, one meat (small morsel, monster meat included) plus 3 berries recovers 62.5 Hunger

Opposed to eaten individually which works out as - Small morsel 12.5 and 3 cooked berries at 12.5 = 50 Hunger

Even better when you have Monster Meat which albeit recovers 18.5 hunger at the cost of health and sanity, but even so it still falls short of the 62.5 you'll get from the Crock Pot.

 

As I'm typing this @aredshroom has just beaten me to the punch xD

 

I will say though Drying Racks are handy for preserving meat that is about to rot since it'll start off again as a fresh jerky with a 20 day spoil time.

And even though it may be redundant to you at the moment, finding a chess peice with a few mobs around it, killing them and obtaining Gears is something you should look at in order to make an Ice Box, which keeps food fresh twice as long. It can be really handy to help you manage your food better.

 

In terms of other food sources, my usual go to is killing Spiders, Catcoons, Volt Goats, Vultures, Rabbits and Werepigs. Also pick any mushrooms you find to use as fillers in the crock pot instead of your berries.

 

 

Hey, more info helps! Yep, you should look into getting an Ice Box asap, especially if you have the DLC. Should note that he's posting this in General Discussion, so he might not be playing on RoG. In that case, Drying Racks don't spoil your jerkies.

Thanks for the tips! It definetly helped, I'm doing a lot better now. I also created few "Improved farms" and they are helping very well too. Oh, and yes, I'm playing with the DLC, but I thought this is more related to basic game than DLC. Hope it don't mind

[Zalyn]

Welcome!   The food aspect of the game is very interesting to me, and I wrote up my own thoughts and suggestions here: http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/32083-food-tips-for-a-noob/?p=422356

 

As far as getting more food per time, if you can find frog ponds (at least 3 in a group), you can get more meat that you know what to do with.  Frogs can be caught with traps, and they are faster than rabbits, so you can catch more in a day.  However, rabbits can be caught pretty quickly if you drop one berry or carrot on the ground and put traps between the food and the rabbit; it will hop right into it.

 

With the new DLC, rabbits caught in traps will eventually starve and drop a morsel, which will eventually rot.  So if you put static traps in place, be sure to check them every day or two.

 

Happy eating!

[BEEFcz]

Welcome!   The food aspect of the game is very interesting to me, and I wrote up my own thoughts and suggestions here: http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/32083-food-tips-for-a-noob/?p=422356

 

As far as getting more food per time, if you can find frog ponds (at least 3 in a group), you can get more meat that you know what to do with.  Frogs can be caught with traps, and they are faster than rabbits, so you can catch more in a day.  However, rabbits can be caught pretty quickly if you drop one berry or carrot on the ground and put traps between the food and the rabbit; it will hop right into it.

 

With the new DLC, rabbits caught in traps will eventually starve and drop a morsel, which will eventually rot.  So if you put static traps in place, be sure to check them every day or two.

 

Happy eating!

Thanks! I've had four traps on field full of rabbits, and after few days, I found rot in my traps.. poor rabits.. Well, but a giant racoon showed few minutes ago, and totaly ruined all of my stuff, including me, so I guess I won't need any more help.. But still, thanks for the tips!

[Kellyc764]

Hey, more info helps! Yep, you should look into getting an Ice Box asap, especially if you have the DLC. Should note that he's posting this in General Discussion, so he might not be playing on RoG. In that case, Drying Racks don't spoil your jerkies.

I nearly slipped that in, but I spotted that OP mentioned Autumn lol

 

Thing is there's plenty of different ways to get food, it just depends on what you like.

 

For instance I have Never built a farm, and I've been playing nearly a year. Don't need to. I typically find a few spider dens, get monster meat, feed 4 monster meat to a pig to transform it into a Werepig, kill and get 2 large meats in return. The "Werepig" diet is pretty easy, and it's my constant go to.

Along with berry bushes, boomerangs to 1 hit k.o rabbits, and Koalefants, I can't say I ever struggle with food anymore.

 

I never really farm frogs because I'm awful at kiting and prefer not to have my inventory knocked around while tanking them.

You'll find a style that suits you

 

Thanks! I've had four traps on field full of rabbits, and after few days I found rot in my traps.. poor rabits.. Well, but a giant racoon showed before few minutes, and totaly ruined all of my stuff including me so I guess I won't be needing any more help.. But still, thanks for the tips!

Yep. Bearger is a nightmare at the moment, apparently he'll home in on your chests to find any food in there, but you can dodge him by staying out of the way and waiting for him to pass

[Zalyn]

I never really farm frogs because I'm awful at kiting and prefer not to have my inventory knocked around while tanking them.

You'll find a style that suits you

 

Oh gawd, they're terrible to fight.  I just annoy them and lead them into a pile of traps, circle around, scoop up the traps, drop the traps again, rinse, repeat. 

 

[RailgunD]

I think the most important thing is remember the 2 most efficient crockpot recipe.  Also, the general rule that you can have 1 monster meat in any crockpot recipe.

 

1) any meat + 3 filler (most efficient filler is probably mushrooms or berries) = meatballs (62.5 ish hunger)

 

2) 3 big meat + any filler (150 hunger)

 

Sleep in tent for hp and sanity and you'll find more ways to get food and other recipes when you're ready for it.

[emerphish]

Looks like you are breaking the number one rule. You are starving.

[erdmanski1341]

Actually the first thing you should be told is cook everything, benefits of food are generally improved when cooked.

 

#2 - build traps - trapping rabbits is easy food and pretty consistent source

 

#3 - build a beebox - this can be done fairly early and if you get some flowers by it, you get plenty of honey often

 

#4 - build a birdcage - you can feed cooked monster meat to birds for an egg

 

#5 - crock pots, drying racks, improved farms - these are key and food won't start to spoil until you harvest it (unless you get the DLC)

 

#6 - berry bush patch - these can be helpful in a dire situation, but most won't need them

 

There are plenty of choices when it comes to consistent food sources, find one you like and just make sure you don't starve

[emerphish]

Actually the first thing you should be told is cook everything, benefits of food are generally improved when cooked.

 

#2 - build traps - trapping rabbits is easy food and pretty consistent source

 

#3 - build a beebox - this can be done fairly early and if you get some flowers by it, you get plenty of honey often

 

#4 - build a birdcage - you can feed cooked monster meat to birds for an egg

 

#5 - crock pots, drying racks, improved farms - these are key and food won't start to spoil until you harvest it (unless you get the DLC)

 

#6 - berry bush patch - these can be helpful in a dire situation, but most won't need them

 

There are plenty of choices when it comes to consistent food sources, find one you like and just make sure you don't starve

 

Actually the first thing you should be told is cook everything, benefits of food are generally improved when cooked.

 

#2 - build traps - trapping rabbits is easy food and pretty consistent source

 

#3 - build a beebox - this can be done fairly early and if you get some flowers by it, you get plenty of honey often

 

#4 - build a birdcage - you can feed cooked monster meat to birds for an egg

 

#5 - crock pots, drying racks, improved farms - these are key and food won't start to spoil until you harvest it (unless you get the DLC)

 

#6 - berry bush patch - these can be helpful in a dire situation, but most won't need them

 

There are plenty of choices when it comes to consistent food sources, find one you like and just make sure you don't starve

keep in mind veggies spoil faster when cooked, meats last longer. Cooked berries last 2 days.

[erdmanski1341]

keep in mind veggies spoil faster when cooked, meats last longer. Cooked berries last 2 days.

 

yeah, I guess I forgot to mention to not cook stuff until you have to

[MidrealmDM]

Hello, I'm kinda new to Don't Starve (started playing one week ago), and I don't know what's the best thing to prepare/get food (my daily food is like 3 berries, 1 carrot and few seeds, so I'm not doing that good). I started with crock pot, but that thing needs a lot of food, and gives not so good meal in return. Now I'm experimenting with Drying rack, but you need a lot of time to make one jerky, so you can't rely just on that, because you would starve in the meantime. Also, I created a little Berry bush farm (also fertilized it) and the berries just don't want to grow (it's autmn, so they should grow, right?)

 

 

yes Berries should grow in the fall (but not winter). - edit unless RoG changed that

 

Hopefully your camp is near some rabbit burrows, harvesting 3+ rabbits a day is a good start

 

A big benefit of the crock pot is that almost everything cooked restores 5 sanity. (most foods

don't restore any) and also some degree of health. If you don't need health and have some

other way of keeping your sanity up, then you might be able to get by without using it at all.

 

The Crockpot does allows you to use poisonous or inedible items to supplement your diet.

Mushrooms, durian, monstermeat, and even sticks can be used in crockpot recipes

 

Eggplant (for example) is almost always better to eat on its own - a cooked eggplant restores

20 health and 25 hunger. If you are using only vegetables, and don't need health or sanity, the

things you can cook probably wont get you any increase in hunger restored.

 

When it comes to meats - you usually see a small benefit in hunger over the individual ingredients:

 

One Monster Meat, One Mushroom, One Morsel, and One Berry, Carrot, etc. (even another morsel)

will yield Meatballs (+3 health, +62 hunger, +5 sanity)

Eaten separately you would get restore around 43 hunger and probably take a hit on health and or sanity

(depending on what the fourth ingredient was) - so that is almost 50% increase in calories gained.

(Without the monster meat you still are at around a 25% increase in calories )

 

The Froggle Bunwich (Frog legs, a vegetable, and two of almost anything else - including sticks)  is

a sandwich that restores 20 health and 37 hunger and 5 sanity. Just frog legs and carrots is 25 calories,

so again about a 50% increase.

 

Butter Muffin (Butterfly wings, a vegetable and two sticks) is a readily available easy snack.

 

Fishsticks probably won't fill you up more than the separate ingredients, but it will heal you (+40 health)

- which is better than the honey poultice.

 

Another good thing about the crock pot is each time you cook your food you remove half of its spoilage.

So if you had stale berries (4 days of spoilage) and cooked them in a crock pot you would restore it

to 2/3 of spoiled, which, for a fistfull of jam (4 berries) normally lasts 15 days, so it would be set to 10 days.

Which is a good benefit. (If you compare the stale of food gained from a crock pot to the stale or spoiled

counterparts there is a much bigger benefit)

 

Most crock pot recipes will fill 37 calories (You typically burn 75 a day) Meatballs fill 62.

Several others (Turkey Dinner, Bacon and Eggs, Honey Ham, Dragonpie, Meaty Stew, and Madrake Stew)

will restore more

 

Don't eat a food that will bring you over your maximum, any excess is just wasted.

 

Bacon and Eggs and Perogi both last 20 days, that is as long as dried meat (jerky)

Although dried jerky is probably still the best choice for travel.

[pwhampton]

Easiest way to deal with food and never have to worry about food again is to set up 5+ bee boxes and plant a lot of flowers around them. When winter comes, you should have enough honey stored up to last most of the winter, if not, just farm meat from pigs, beefalo, and/or hunting for the koalaphants.