How to Serve and Store Caviar – California Caviar Company

MARCH MADNESS SALES EVENT IS EXTENDED UNTIL 11:59PM PST TONIGHT(3/5/24)! HURRY! BUY 1, GET 1 AT 50% OFF! USE CODE MM2024!

STORING AND SERVING

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF CAVIAR

S erving caviar on a bed of shaved ice either in its own tin or in a glass or Mother of Pearl server is a must. Avoid using metal when serving caviar, as it has adverse effects on the flavor. Traditionally caviar is served with Mother of Pearl but glass, wood, bone, shell and even gold utensils and servers work just as nicely.

There's a deep seated school of thought that metal should never come in direct contact with caviar, be it a spoon, platter, or serving device. The argument is that metal imparts a very unpleasant taste on the eggs. Some say this is a myth, but the mere thought of a metal in proximity to fine caviar is off-putting to a vast number of aficionados. However, some top chefs such as Jacques Pépin believe caviar is never on the spoon long enough to affect the flavor. Fortunately, we offer beautiful Mother of Pearl spoons designed exclusively for caviar which will end the debate before it begins and let your guests focus on the delicious indulgence.

Caviar can be incorporated into endless applications. We recommend indulging in delicate caviars simply on fresh blini or lightly toasted brioche with a light dollop of crème fraîche or butter. Traditional service often includes eggs, shallots, chives, capers, or radish, while the purists prefer it straight off the spoon. More assertive caviar such as Hackleback and Paddlefish go great with latkes, potato chips and smoked fish. Other caviars such as whitefish, salmon or trout have the texture to hold up to heat and so can be applied wonderfully to sauces or topped on grilled fish. Check out our recipe page for some of our favorite applications.

A bump is about 7 grams of caviar so a 1 ounce container will typically have four servings.  

Storage

The ideal temperature for storing caviar is 28° – 34° to preserve optimal quality. This is best achieved by keeping it on ice in your refrigerator. If continually keeping it on ice isn't practical, store your caviar in the coldest part of your refrigerator (typically the back bottom). Unopened, caviar will last 5 weeks. Once opened, enjoy your caviar within 5 days.

You should remove your caviar from the refrigerator no more than 5 minutes before serving to ensure freshness and the desired pop.

In the unlikely event you will not finish your caviar in one sitting and need to store it, we recommend gently placing a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the caviar before applying lid. This will minimize the caviar’s contact with air, slowing down its oxidation process which will increase its shelf life. Although sturgeon caviar is best not frozen, whitefish, salmon and trout caviars freeze nicely.