Unopened, and kept between 0 and +4 °C, a tin of Attilus caviar keeps for about three to four months from packing; check the best-before date on the tin. Once opened, eat it the same day if you can, and within two days at most.
How long does caviar last unopened? About three to four months from packing
Our caviar keeps for about three to four months from the day it is packed, on three conditions: the tin stays sealed, it stays between 0 and +4 °C, and it is never frozen. Every tin carries its best-before date, and that date is the one to go by.
The months count from packing, not from delivery, so the best-before date on the tin is the first thing to read when it arrives. Other producers set other shelf lives for their own caviar, depending on how it is made and packed; whatever the tin, the date printed on it is the one to follow.
Where to keep it
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping a home fridge between 0 and 5 °C. Caviar wants the colder end of that range, 0 to +4 °C, so keep the tin in the coldest part of the fridge, usually near the bottom. A fridge thermometer, which the Food Standards Agency also recommends, will tell you whether your fridge gets there.
Put the tin in the fridge as soon as it arrives. Our caviar is sent by an overnight service, in insulated packaging with gel ice packs that keep it chilled for up to 24 hours, not for days.
Never freeze it
Freezing changes the texture of caviar, which is why our own storage instruction is to keep it chilled and never frozen. If a tin has been frozen by mistake, its best-before date no longer applies.
Once opened: a day, two at most
Air is what changes caviar, which is why a tin is packed with as little of it as possible. Once the lid is off, the clock is no longer measured in months.
- Eat it the same day if you can. One caviar house and America's Test Kitchen both advise finishing an opened tin within 24 hours; the Food Keeper guide, from Cornell University and the US Food Marketing Institute, allows two days for opened fresh caviar.
- If any is left, move it to a small covered glass dish, keep it in the coldest part of the fridge, and eat it within two days at most.
- Use a clean spoon each time you go back to it.
The simplest answer is to open only what you will eat. For a dinner, two smaller tins are often better than one large one, because the second can stay sealed. Our guide to how much caviar per person helps you choose the sizes.
At the table
Take the tin out of the fridge about five minutes before you open it, and serve it on a bed of ice. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping chilled food out of the fridge for as short a time as possible, so put what is left back in the fridge as soon as the course is over, not at the end of the evening.
Ordering ahead
Because a sealed tin keeps for months, the caviar for a dinner, a birthday or the end of the year can be ordered ahead and kept in the fridge until the day. Check the best-before date on the tin when it arrives, and open it only when you are ready to serve. Every tin also carries its CITES code, which traces it to its batch: How to read the lid explains how to read it.
If you are new to caviar, our guide to which caviar to try first is a good place to start, and our piece on how much caviar costs explains the prices.
From the shop: Royal Siberian, the Tasting Set and the caviar tin opener.
Words: the Attilus team. Photograph: Timofei Zhbanov (TimmyFoodUK), from the Attilus library; still from ATTILUS Fishery; the opener, the Attilus team.
Questions
How long does unopened caviar last?
An unopened Attilus tin keeps for about three to four months from packing, kept between 0 and +4 °C and never frozen; check the best-before date on the tin. Other producers' caviar may have a different shelf life, so follow the date on the tin you have.
How long does caviar last once opened?
Eat it the same day if you can. If any is left, move it to a small covered glass dish in the coldest part of the fridge, and eat it within two days at most.
Can you freeze caviar?
No. Freezing changes its texture. Keep it chilled, between 0 and +4 °C.
How should you store caviar at home?
Sealed, in the coldest part of the fridge, between 0 and +4 °C. Put it in the fridge as soon as it arrives, and take it out only about five minutes before opening.
How can you tell if caviar has gone off?
Fresh caviar smells clean, a little like oysters. If an opened tin smells sour or strongly fishy, if it is past its date, or if it has spent hours out of the fridge, do not eat it. If in doubt, throw it away.