Most people consider caviar as a luxury, a treat to be only occasionally indulged but its surprising how few people know how to store their caviar to protect their little investment.

Yes, its true that good caviar will keep, unopened in the refrigerator for between one and four weeks but there's more to it than that. The optimum temperature for safely storing caviar is between 28 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. However, most domestic refrigerators don't go that low so keep your caviar on the lowest shelf. Don't worry about it being a little colder than that - the high oil content in caviar means that it will not freeze.

Once you have opened your caviar you should eat it within three to four days (four is the very longest you should leave it). This is so unlikely in our house where a small jar of caviar will disappear in one go!

Assuming you're not so greedy as us, you can return opened caviar to the fridge but you should cover it with plastic film and avoid the air getting to it - this is the fastest way to spoil caviar. What a lot of people forget to do is to turn the container occasionally to keep the oil moving around the caviar - if the contents remain static this will make them dry out more quickly.

Remover the caviar from the fridge about fifteen minutes before you want to eat it but DO NOT OPEN IT. Only open it just before you want to eat it. Have ready a chilled dish - or eat it out of the can or jar for sheer decadence - or, better still, a dish strewn with ice and spoon the caviar onto this; not only does it look the business but it will keep your caviar nicely chilled.

How much caviar should you serve? About 1 to 2 ounces per guest will be sufficient; however, if there are two of you enjoying a romantic indulgence of champagne and caviar do not skimp!

Champagne is the perfect accompaniment for caviar but an ice cold bottle of vodka will really compliment good caviar and impress your guests.

To serve your caviar go for unsalted crackers or buttered toast - dainty slices work best as finger food. Best of all are blini - the traditional little Russian pancake onto which you first spoon a little creme fraiche and then delicately top with a small spoonful of caviar. What could be more stylish, more sophisticated and really show your guests you are the perfect host?

Learn more about this author, Fiona Thompson.
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