Here's How Long Caviar Will Last Once You Open It

Whether you are serving your caviar with cornmeal blinis and Champagne at a New Year's Eve party, whipping up some scrambled eggs with lobster and caviar for Sunday brunch, or just piling the salty, briny pearls onto your favorite potato chips while you binge watch the latest, you might find you have some leftovers. Caviar is too expensive to waste, and it has to be kept cold at all times. In fact, if it has been left out at room temperature for more than an hour, it's no longer safe to eat. Still, you shouldn't freeze it unless you are looking to change its taste and texture — and not for the better. So, that leaves the fridge for storing leftovers.

The type of caviar you have influences its longevity, as higher quality caviar typically has a longer shelf life. That said, once you peel back the lid on the tin, air becomes the great nemesis of this luxury food. Beautiful, buttery Beluga caviar doesn't have a long time to linger. You are going to need to eat it within one or two days. Nutty-tasting Ossetra caviar or grainy Sevruga can stay fresh for up to three days after opening. However, where you store them in your fridge matters, too.

How to store and use leftover caviar

You need to find the coldest spot in the fridge to ensure that it maintains a temperature of around 28 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. This is both the ideal temperature for serving and storing caviar. But before you place your tin of leftovers in the fridge, remember to cover it with some plastic wrap to keep the air at bay. This will help preserve its taste and texture. If your leftover caviar develops a tart or bitter flavor and starts to smell kind of funky, you will need to toss it. 

What can you do with your leftover caviar? The good news is there are quite a few ways to repurpose it. Black, silver, red, pink, amber, or whatever color you have, caviar will seriously upgrade your instant ramen. Think of it as frugal meets Gucci. You can also add a light layer to your classic egg salad sandwich if you are feeling posh. But it is important to note that if you are going to be spooning caviar onto Doritos, a trend professional chefs do not approve of, or any type of chip for that matter, you want to place those pearly eggs on a platform of crushed ice, so that they stay cool as you nosh on them. If you still have leftovers, be sure to pop them right back into the fridge.