🍅 Quick take: Russian Queen (Russkaya Koroleva) is a mid-early, indeterminate striped saladette originating from the United States. Climbing easily over 6.5 ft (2 m) in high tunnels, it thrives when pruned to 2 or 3 vigorous leaders. The vines pump out uniform, crack-proof plum-shaped fruits weighing up to 3 oz (90 g), decorated in scarlet skin with metallic golden streaks. Renowned as a premier whole-pack canning and pickling tomato, it retains firm walls in boiling brines, shrugs off late blight, and shows complete resistance to blossom end rot. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-4 Experience)
Russian Queen. Vigorous, tall grower (topped 6.5 ft / 2 m in the greenhouse), high-yielding US variety with vibrant, striking fruit. Mid-early maturity. Fruits are saladette-sized, bright red with vivid yellow striping, classic plum shape. Very tasty and sweet.
Russian Queen is a striped, heavy-producing stunner. Everyone has their own favorites, but for my compact greenhouses, this is one of the absolute best canning cultivars I have ever grown.
Extremely uniform oval/plum fruits: pure scarlet red splashed with golden stripes like bursts of sunshine. Inside the canning jar it stays perfectly balanced, neither mushy nor leathery, and never fades or leaches its color in brine. Simply put, this is the gold standard for cold winter nights alongside boiled potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and quick-pickled half-sours!
First planted it about five years ago from Popenko’s seeds, and right out of the gate in season one, Russian Queen blew me away with its sheer yield. I always plant it in the corner right by the greenhouse doorway: the vine is large, vigorous, and tall. I train it to at least two leaders, and this season I ran three, which worked out great too. Zero late blight, zero blossom end rot, an absolute angel of a plant!
Extremely uniform oval/plum fruits: pure scarlet red splashed with golden stripes like bursts of sunshine. Inside the canning jar it stays perfectly balanced, neither mushy nor leathery, and never fades or leaches its color in brine. Simply put, this is the gold standard for cold winter nights alongside boiled potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and quick-pickled half-sours!
First planted it about five years ago from Popenko’s seeds, and right out of the gate in season one, Russian Queen blew me away with its sheer yield. I always plant it in the corner right by the greenhouse doorway: the vine is large, vigorous, and tall. I train it to at least two leaders, and this season I ran three, which worked out great too. Zero late blight, zero blossom end rot, an absolute angel of a plant!
Fantastic variety! Indeterminate, crazy productive in the greenhouse when run with three leaders 👋 It delivers an extended harvest all the way until the final autumn freeze.
Gorgeous striped oval fruits, exceptionally uniform across every truss, scarlet red with shimmering gold stripes. Great flavor, sizing up to 3 oz (90 g).
Edited December 27, 2018 by Svetikk
Gorgeous striped oval fruits, exceptionally uniform across every truss, scarlet red with shimmering gold stripes. Great flavor, sizing up to 3 oz (90 g).
Edited December 27, 2018 by Svetikk
Can anyone tell me if this one holds up well for whole-fruit canning? It won’t turn into watery mush in the jars, right?
Never mind, re-read the thread more carefully 🤦♀️ Looks like a total winner for canning jars!
Edited February 28, 2021 by Inna
Never mind, re-read the thread more carefully 🤦♀️ Looks like a total winner for canning jars!
Edited February 28, 2021 by Inna
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant & Vigor: Vigorous, tall climbing indeterminate easily reaching 6.5 ft (2 m) under high tunnel protection. Handles multi-stem training effortlessly: growers recommend running 2 to 3 main leaders to maximize canopy width and cluster count. Mid-early maturity.
- 📈 Yield & Uniformity: Heavy, extended producer bearing long trusses of remarkably uniform oval/plum fruit weighing up to 3 oz (90 g). Sets fruit reliably throughout summer and continues ripening until late autumn.
- 🥫 Canning Excellence: Widely regarded as a benchmark whole-pack canning and pickling cultivar. Thick, durable skins do not crack in boiling brine, maintaining a crisp, tender-firm bite and preserving bright red-and-gold stripes inside preserved jars.
- 🛡️ Disease Resistance: Outstanding field health. Growers report excellent natural immunity against late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and zero occurrence of blossom end rot (BER), even in cramped greenhouse corners.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Extensively grown and recommended across USDA Zones 3 and 4 (Moscow Region and the cold Urals steppe).
