📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Buran
- 🌍 Origin: A Russian family heirloom passed down through a forum member’s mother. The name “Buran” translates to “Blizzard” or “Snowstorm.” Note: There is also a commercial Dutch F1 hybrid called Buran; growers debate whether this heirloom is a stabilized, dehybridized version of it or a completely separate family seed line.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. A strong, vigorous bush that sets fruit very reliably.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, oblate (flattened-round) beefsteaks. They ripen to a beautiful raspberry-pink color.
- 👅 Flavor & Texture: A harmonious, pleasant, well-balanced flavor.
- ⏳ Yield & Maturity: Mid-season. It has excellent fruit set and the tomatoes ripen uniformly together in flushes. It does not have a long shelf life, so it is best eaten or processed soon after harvest.
This variety came to me from our fellow forum member Tatyana. Her mother grew it for many years. Mid-season, semi-determinate, with large, oblate fruits of a raspberry-pink color. Fruit set is excellent, ripening is very uniform, and the flavor is perfectly balanced and harmonious.
Is yours an open-pollinated variety (heirloom)?
I ask because last year I bought seeds for Buran F1 (a Dutch hybrid). The seller highly recommended it. I haven’t planted it yet, but based on your description, it sounds very similar.
Elena, this one doesn’t seem to be a hybrid, though who knows—Tanya’s mother has already passed away, so we can’t ask her.
How does it keep? Does it have a good shelf life?
Sveta, no, it doesn’t keep for very long on the counter at all))
In 2014 I planted Buran F1. I really loved the vigorous plant and the great fruit set. In 2015 I couldn’t buy the commercial seeds again, so I planted the seeds I saved from the F1 hybrid fruit. Here is what grew out.
The taste is pleasant.
I read up on this variety elsewhere, and it really caught my interest. It’s a shame there is so little information about it out there. If I can find the seeds, I’ll definitely try planting it and test the flavor for myself!)
