Storage & serving

Your caviar is fresh and unpasteurized: Imperial Ossetra sturgeon roe and salt, nothing else. Cold is what keeps it at its best, so the first minute matters most.

When it arrives

Put the tin in the fridge right away, at the back of the coldest shelf or in the meat drawer. Not the door, which warms up every time it opens.
The bag kept it cold on the way to you, but it isn't storage. Unpack it now, even if you're serving tonight.
Never freeze it. Freezing softens the pearls and they lose their pop.

Keeping it

Unopened: about one month at 28–32°F, just below freezing. Most fridges run warmer, around 35–40°F, so for more than a day or two set the closed tin in a bowl of ice in the fridge and top up the ice as it melts.
Opened: enjoy within 48 hours. Smooth the surface, press plastic wrap onto the caviar, put the lid back on and return it to the coldest spot.

Opening the tin

Keep the tin cold until you're ready to serve.
Hold it flat on the counter and lift the lid slowly, without prying hard, so the pearls stay whole.

Serving

Serve it cold, straight from the tin set in a bowl of crushed ice.
Use a non-metal spoon: mother-of-pearl, bone, wood or glass. Metal can leave a taste.
Lift from the top rather than stirring, so the pearls stay whole.
Taste the first spoonful plain. Then try it on a warm blini with a little crème fraîche, or on the back of your hand.
Plan 15–30 g per person for a tasting. Finish within about an hour at the table, or put the tin back in the fridge.

Is it still good?

Fresh caviar smells clean and briny, like the sea, and the pearls are glossy, separate and firm. If it smells sour or strongly fishy, or the pearls are mushy or stuck together, don't eat it, and email us at hello@opuscaviar.com.

More from our guides

Ingredients: sturgeon roe, salt. Contains: fish (sturgeon).