Once Ginger Island was added to Stardew Valley in the 1.5 expansion, a ton of new quests became available, as well as new NPCs and stories. Birdie's quest, or rather, the Pirate's Wife's quest is one of them, and to complete it without any help, you should know some of the game's dialogue/characters.
The Pirate's Wife quest is unlike any other quest in Stardew Valley: it usually involves taking Leeks to George or something. Basically, most quests ask you to deliver an item to someone, and that's it. With this quest, you get a full-blown RPG questline, where you're shuttled back and forth between NPCs, and then tasked with delivering items and getting more in return until you've basically finished the quest.
Below I will explain what it is and how to complete the quest The Pirate's Wife and get your hands on the Golden Nuts.
Who is the pirate's wife?
If you've ever set foot on Ginger Island, you might have noticed a small hut on the left side of the map, next to which sits a ragged old woman, just fishing, staring into space. That's Birdy, an NPC who is also called the Pirate's Wife because of the quest line she brings up when you start a chat.
How to complete the quest “The Pirate's Wife”?
After chatting with Birdy, she will ask you for a small favor: find something that belonged to her husband that might remind her of him. It seems like a nice mission, but if you haven't completed it yet, you probably know that it's not as easy as it seems.
Here are all the steps to follow to undertake this mission and how to solve it:
1. Deliver the war memento to Kent
The War Memento, basically a war photo, is the first item in this questline. You need to give it to someone who knows about war, and the only one in the Valley who can do that is Kent. He'll be available starting in Year 2, and he lives with Jodi, Sam, and Vincent.
2. Pass the gourmet tomato salt to Gus at the Saloon
After speaking with Kent, you will receive a Gourmet Tomato Salt: the description of this item reads as follows: “A rare, delicious and flavorful salt.” The only person known for his cooking in the Valley is Gus, so you must go there and give him the salt. In return, he will give you a Stardew Valley Rose.
3. Take the bus to Calico Desert and give the rose to Sandy
Guessing that the rose is for Sandy can be a little tricky, but since she's an NPC in Stardew who loves flowers (and Mango Sticky Rice?), it has to be done. She'll love the rose and in return she'll give you an item that isn't that popular in her shop: a TV remote control.
4. Give George the TV remote so he can finally change the channel
We know George can be a bit grumpy if he doesn't get his Leeks, but he'll also love having the advanced TV remote you get from Sandy. Now he can change the channel (finally!) and in return you'll get an Arctic Shard.
5. Head to the Wizard with the Arctic Shard
Because the Arctic fragment is a mysterious object that shines with a otherworldly blue lightThe Wizard is the best NPC to take it to. Once you give him the item, he will give you a Wriggling Worm. I think you can guess where you need to get this item.
6. Give Willy the fisherman the wriggling worm
Every old fisherman loves a good bait, and a Wriggling Worm is the best there is. Give the item to Willy, and he will finally give you the final item in this questline.
7. Finally, return to Birdy with the pirate medallion obtained from Willy
The last item you will get in this quest is the Pirate's Locket, which is the item Birdy was looking for. Return to Ginger Island with it and she will give you 5 Golden Walnuts and a recipe for Fairy Dust.
The reward
When you finish the quest, Birdy will give you the recipe to make fairy dust, as well as 5 golden nuts. Since golden nuts are quite rare and there are only 130 of them you can collect in total, you want to complete this quest and get them all.
If you want to learn more about Stardew Valley, we have a guide on how to solve the mermaid puzzle and how to make caviar, but we also go into more detail on the best sprinkler layout for your farm. These and many more guides can be found in our Stardew Valley guides section, so check them out if you're curious!