Quick Summary of Khokhloma
- 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial variety named after the traditional Russian folk painting style (“Khokhloma”). It is the red “sister” variety to the orange “Chukhloma” tomato.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous, easily exceeding 2.0 m (6.5 ft) in height. Performs best in greenhouses but can be grown outdoors. Forms beautiful, heavily loaded trusses.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, elongated banana or “icicle” shape, about 10-12 cm (4-5 inches) long, weighing 100-130 g (3.5-4.5 oz). The skin is firm and glossy. It is highly resistant to cracking and, notably, shows excellent resistance to Blossom End Rot (BER), which is rare for long paste tomatoes.
- 👅 Flavor & Use: The fresh flavor is mild and classic, but its true power lies in processing. It is an absolute superstar for whole-jar canning, freezing, and making sun-dried tomatoes. It has an incredible shelf life and can hang ripe on the vine for up to a month without spoiling.
- 🛡️ Disease Resistance: Highly resistant to TMV (Tobacco Mosaic Virus), Fusarium wilt, and Cladosporium (Leaf Mold).
Description from the seed packet:
Mid-season (111-115 days from emergence to fruiting), highly vigorous (over 2.0 m / 6.5 ft) variety, recommended for temporary film tunnels and unheated greenhouses. The fruits are banana-shaped, bright red, 10-12 cm (4-5 inches) long, weighing 100-120 g (3.5-4.2 oz). 12-15 fruits are formed in one truss. The fruits are firmly attached, do not drop, and can be stored for up to 2-3 weeks; they are firm with a dense skin. Perfectly suited for whole-fruit canning. The variety is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, fusarium, and cladosporium.
Photo author: TatianKa
I’ve been growing this tomato variety for a long time, but it was bought in a packet labeled Chukhloma. Seeds from Gavrish. By description, it perfectly matches Khokhloma. A vigorous bush with long red-orange fruits. Firm, weight is about 130-140 grams (4.5-5 oz). It didn’t get sick. I grow it in a greenhouse. It is in my planting plans for this year. The variety starts ripening in late July – August.
Chukhloma and Khokhloma are completely different tomatoes, actually. Chukhloma is orange, and Khokhloma is red. And Khokhloma has longer fruits.
Vera said:
Chukhloma and Khokhloma are completely different tomatoes, actually. Chukhloma is orange, and Khokhloma is red. And Khokhloma has longer fruits.
Vera, you are correct, that’s exactly how it is.
Vera said:
Chukhloma and Khokhloma are completely different tomatoes, actually. Chukhloma is orange, and Khokhloma is red. And Khokhloma has longer fruits.
Verochka, Valentina’s tomatoes ARE red. When she posted her photos in the catalog under the Chukhloma thread (since she bought a packet labeled Chukhloma), she was redirected here — to Khokhloma. 😄
I already figured out that Khokhloma seeds were mistakenly poured into the Chukhloma packet. I just described what actually grew. Thanks for the clarifications. Mine do have longer fruits. But what is written on the packet… that it sets up to 15 fruits, is not true. Well, 6-7 will fill out, but no more than that.
Galina said:
Verochka, Valentina’s tomatoes ARE red… she was redirected here — to Khokhloma. 😄
😂😂😂 I apologize. The photo just loaded for me, I see it now.
Valentina said:
I already figured out that Khokhloma seeds were mistakenly poured into the Chukhloma packet. I just described what actually grew. Thanks for the clarifications.
And what are your planting plans for this year, Chukhloma or Khokhloma? 😊
Now that it has been identified for what it is – I will plant a little bit of KHOKHLOMA.
I grew Khokhloma as a pair to the orange Chukhloma. I really liked the variety! Indeterminate, grew in the greenhouse in 2 stems, very productive, set fruit well all the way up to the roof, extended fruiting until the end of the season. The fruits are red, firm glossy icicles weighing up to 130g (4.5 oz), great for canning in jars, sun-drying, storage, and any processing.
My Khokhloma turned out tall in 2020, beautiful trusses, the fresh taste was bland/nothing special, but I dried them, made sun-dried tomatoes, and froze them. Not a single one cracked/split; the Kapia variety was hanging right next to it, looked similar except for the size, and it was almost torn apart by the rains.
Khokhloma. I repeated this variety, I really love it, one of the best among the red icicles. Indeterminate, productive, fruits for a long time. It grew in the greenhouse in 3 stems, the fruits are red, all uniform, smooth, meaty, weight up to 130g (4.5 oz), not a single fruit with blossom end rot (BER). It stores well, a ripe fruit can hang on the bush for almost a month waiting for its turn, without spoiling or dropping. For anyone who needs to make sun-dried tomatoes – it’s a perfect fit!
Svetlana said:
Khokhloma. I repeated this variety, I really love it, one of the best among the red icicles… For anyone who needs to make sun-dried tomatoes – it’s a perfect fit!
Svet, is it tasty for fresh eating?
Tatiana said:
Svet, is it tasty for fresh eating?
It works, for me it turns out quite tasty and firm, but not dry. Especially at the end of the season, in September-October, when the regular slicing/salad varieties are already finished.
Svetlana said:
Khokhloma. I repeated this variety, I really love it, one of the best among the red icicles… For anyone who needs to make sun-dried tomatoes – it’s a perfect fit!
And why did I decline the seeds for it from you? 😩
