How to Store Caviar and How Long It Keeps
Fresh caviar is a lightly cured, ready-to-eat, highly perishable food. Its entire shelf life is a function of temperature, and most disappointing tins were mishandled rather than badly made.
The right temperature
Hold caviar at −2 to 0 °C (28–32 °F). The salt content depresses the freezing point, so it stays unfrozen below 0 °C — but a domestic fridge usually runs at 4 °C, which is several degrees too warm. Use the coldest spot you have, typically the back of the bottom shelf, and keep the tin in a sealed bag or container so it does not take on odours.
How long it keeps
A sealed tin of fresh malossol caviar held at the correct temperature keeps for roughly four weeks, and producers usually print a best-before date on that basis. Pasteurised caviar in a sealed jar keeps for months unopened, at the cost of a softer grain.
Once opened, any caviar should be eaten the same day. Press the surface flat, replace the lid, seal the tin, and return it to the coldest point of the fridge if you must keep it — but expect a noticeable loss of finish by day two, and do not go past day three.
Freezing
Do not freeze sturgeon caviar. Ice crystals rupture the membranes and the grain thaws into paste with the texture — and much of the point — destroyed.
Salmon roe (ikura) is the exception and freezes acceptably thanks to its tougher membrane; it is routinely sold frozen. Lumpfish and other heavily brined roes also tolerate it. If a vendor is selling frozen sturgeon caviar, that tells you something about the vendor.
How to tell a tin has gone
Trust the smell first: fresh caviar smells of clean sea and cream, and a sour, sharp, or strongly fishy note means it is over. Visually, look for a swollen or bulging lid, cloudy liquid, eggs that have collapsed and are weeping, or a bitter or metallic taste on the first spoon. Any of those and the tin is finished.
A swollen tin should be discarded without tasting. Lightly salted, vacuum-packed fish products are exactly the conditions associated with Clostridium botulinum, and pressure in the container is the warning sign.
Safety notes worth taking seriously
Caviar is fish and fish is a major allergen. It is also an unpasteurised, ready-to-eat refrigerated food, which places it in the Listeria monocytogenes risk category. People who are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly, or managing chronic illness should consult a healthcare professional before eating unpasteurised roe; pasteurised product is the lower-risk option.
Caviar is also very high in sodium, which is worth knowing if you are managing blood pressure or sodium intake.
Common questions
How long does caviar last in the fridge?
A sealed tin of fresh malossol caviar keeps about four weeks at −2 to 0 °C. Pasteurised caviar keeps for months sealed. Once opened, eat it the same day — two days at the outside.
Can you freeze caviar?
Not sturgeon caviar — ice crystals rupture the membrane and the grain turns to paste. Salmon roe and heavily brined roes such as lumpfish freeze acceptably.
What temperature should caviar be stored at?
Between −2 and 0 °C (28–32 °F), colder than a standard refrigerator setting. Use the coldest part of the fridge, sealed so it does not absorb odours.
How can you tell if caviar has gone bad?
A sour, sharp, or strongly fishy smell, a swollen lid, cloudy liquid, collapsed weeping eggs, or a bitter metallic taste. Discard a swollen tin without tasting it.
Is caviar safe during pregnancy?
Unpasteurised caviar is a refrigerated ready-to-eat food and carries Listeria risk, which is particularly serious in pregnancy. Consult a healthcare professional; pasteurised product is the lower-risk option.
Last reviewed 2026-08-13 · Roemance editorial