Quick Summary of Yantarnyi Kubok (Amber Cup)
- 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial heirloom variety (famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company). The name translates to “Amber Cup”.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: There is a well-known seed mix-up in the market. The original, true strain is Determinate (bush), growing stout and compact around 70–100 cm (2.3–3.3 ft). It has large, wide leaves that perfectly protect the fruit from sunscald in extreme heat. However, newer commercial packets incorrectly list it as Indeterminate (and produce a different, taller plant with larger fruits).
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful bright orange/amber plum or “cup” shaped tomatoes. The fruits are very firm, dense, and crack-resistant.
- 👅 Flavor & Use: They have a classic, pleasant tomato flavor. Because of their firm and meaty texture, they are absolute superstars for whole-fruit canning, long storage, and sun-drying (dehydrating).
- ⏳ Maturity: Mid-season. Yields are very reliable, with fruits often ripening uniformly in late summer.
Grown from Aelita seeds. I only got three plants, even though the seeds were valid until 12.2007, meaning the germination rate was poor. It is determinate, the bushes are powerful, about 70 cm (28 inches) high. The leaves, although not potato-type, are large and wide, and the fruits hide under them (makes it great for growing under the hot sun, just like the Ruslan variety). Mid-season, good yield. The fruits are very firm, with a normal tomato taste. They were perfect for canning in jars and for sun-drying.
Galochka, thank you so much for this one.
Super! I really liked both the shape and the taste, it has a long shelf life, and it’s great in canning jars!
It’s good in every way and has become a permanent resident in my tomato family!
I bought these seeds yesterday. Packet from Aelita. It says that the variety is indeterminate.
Esme, do you remember what was written on your packet?
Mine reached 100 cm+ (3.3 ft+) in the greenhouse.
I finally found the packet I grew them from. It says exactly what grew — determinate, compact:
Wow. I will take a picture of my packet tonight. Thanks.
Here it is, finally, my Yantarnyi Kubok, or rather the packet with this variety.
Where is the truth, brother?… 😜
Mid-season variety for growing outdoors and under temporary row covers. This is an indeterminate variety that requires staking and regular training.
A versatile slicing tomato that is also suitable for whole-fruit canning. The attractive fruits weigh up to 4.4 oz. (125 g) and have a beautiful orange color, delicious flavor, and a juicy, meaty texture. They are especially high in beta-carotene and dry matter, and keep well for up to two months after harvest.
Recommended for fresh eating and healthy, diet-conscious meals. Excellent for freezing and canning, with a distinctive flavor that adds color and character to any vegetable garden.
Olya, it might very well be that our cups are made of different amber.
Mine is exactly as stated on my old packet. As for what will grow for you…
In the past, Yantarnyi Kubok was always known as a determinate.
Perhaps the staff at Aelita has been replaced by a younger generation, and they’ve altered the old, well-known varieties…
Esme wrote:
Olya, it might very well be that our cups are made of different amber.
😄 👍 So we shall see 😜 Looks like an experiment is brewing. 🫣 Though for a truly clean experiment I’d need to sow all the seeds from the packet, but I don’t have enough garden space for a whole “Amber Necklace”. 😵 😄
Mine grew as an indeterminate and the fruits are clearly larger than advertised, but it hasn’t colored up yet.
Here is how my Yantarnyi Kubok turned out.
The bush is determinate, powerful, stood for a long time without any tying/support. The cluster is large, but fragile. The fruits started to ripen all together in late August.
Thanks to Verochka Tomatinka for the seeds 🌷
Zhenya, where did you grow it — in the greenhouse or open ground? How is the taste? Did you try canning them? I have Galina’s (Esme’s) seeds, I will plant them this year in her memory. So far, everything I grew from her seeds turned out perfectly.
Tatyana Kemerovo wrote:
Zhenya, where did you grow it — in the greenhouse or open ground? How is the taste? Did you try canning them?
I grow everything in Open Ground. The taste is good, they are firm inside. They are probably great for canning, but I don’t do canning myself. For me, I decided to repeat them, but not this year, maybe next year.
