📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskiy Rebristyi (American Ribbed)
- 🌍 Origin: This is the famous, classic “American Ribbed” heirloom, known and loved in the West (similar to the Costoluto types). It was brought over to Russia and quickly gained popularity among collectors for its stunning appearance.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally indeterminate (tall), though some growers report the vines being somewhat weak or even terminating (topping themselves) early under stress. In the open garden, it usually reaches about 1-1.5 meters (3-5 ft).
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, deeply pleated/ribbed tomatoes. They are very dense and look absolutely spectacular when sliced crosswise.
- 👅 Flavor & Yield: Highly polarizing! Some Russian growers praise its sweet, dense, “true tomato” flavor. Others find it completely bland or “cottony” if left on the vine too long. The yield is also hit-or-miss depending on the climate; it can be a heavy producer for some, but a very shy yielder for others.
- 💡 Best Uses: Unbeatable as a slicing tomato. It makes a stunning visual presentation on a fresh vegetable platter.
Amerikanskiy rebristyi (American Ribbed) 😋
My American Ribbed didn’t turn out very ribbed. I couldn’t really judge the taste and yield because I planted just one bush very late “just to try it”. Three fruits ripened on the vine, then it completely stalled. In the autumn, it produced a few fruits on the suckers, but they didn’t have time to ripen. To me, it tasted a bit acidic/tart.
This variety is a beauty! The fruits have very pronounced ribs, the flesh is firm, with a pleasant dessert-like flavor. I grew it indoors in a greenhouse, the plants were no taller than 1.50 m (5 ft), with average foliage coverage…
Yaroslavna said:
This variety is a beauty! The fruits have very pronounced ribs, the flesh is firm, with a pleasant dessert-like flavor…
Natashenka, the variety really is fabulous and very tasty, it’s totally my kind of tomato 👍👍👍 I love that true, real tomato flavor.
Here is my American. I like the variety, but in my opinion, you absolutely cannot let it sit on the vine for too long. If it overripens, it gets soft, tastes like cotton/wool, and isn’t very good. But if you pick it right on time—it’s delicious. (For some reason I can’t insert a photo..)
My American Ribbed from this season:
Productive and tasty.
I planted this variety in 2015.
It didn’t show its full potential—the yield was disappointing.
– Bush appearance: mid-late season, moderately spreading, normal foliage.
– Fruit set: skips trusses, drops blossoms. I’ve already ripped the bush out.
– Height in open ground: By Aug 17 – 1.0 m (3.3 ft).
– Trusses: 1-2 fruits each.
– Overall yield: low.
– Fruit: ribbed, bright red color, wide and boat-shaped (like a bast shoe).
– Density of ripe fruit: medium.
– Taste: dense, balanced, tasty, juicy, sweetness 5/5.
First impression: A tasty and beautiful tomato for fresh eating and processing.
Rating: Seedlings – 4-, Bush – 3, Fruit – 5, Overall variety rating – 4+.
The absolute champion of 2015 for poor yield. It set 4 fruits and then topped itself (terminated). It’s a very beautiful tomato. But I didn’t notice any special flavor. I’m keeping the seeds in my collection, but I won’t be growing it in 2016.
I planted it in 2015 from a seed packet I brought back from Crimea.
I wasn’t expecting anything special—just like any other novelty/exotic variety…
But the variety surprised and delighted me—it turned out to be unfussy and productive! The taste is a classic tomato flavor.
In the open garden, it grew just over 1 meter (3.3 ft).
I will plant it again in small numbers—just for variety.
Grew it in the greenhouse, the yield was very average…
The bush was frail. It produced exactly TWO tomatoes by the end of August. Definitely won’t be planting it again.
American Ribbed didn’t please me with a huge yield either. But on the other hand, the fruits turned out incredibly beautiful, deeply ribbed, and both oblate and heart-shaped. The taste was sweet.
A true beauty of a variety. 👍 Indispensable for a visually stunning yet tasty sliced vegetable platter. Grew it outdoors in the open garden. I plan to repeat it in the greenhouse this year, although it felt perfectly fine outdoors too.
Very beautiful both on its own and when sliced, very productive, but for my taste, it’s a bit bland. However, I keep planting a bush just for the sheer beauty of it.
