📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ivanushka
- 🌍 Origin: A very old Russian commercial variety. The name “Ivanushka” is an affectionate diminutive of Ivan (John), a name incredibly popular in classic Russian folklore and fairy tales.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate bush. It stays relatively compact, reaching around 31.5 inches (80 cm) in height, making it a great candidate for smaller spaces or containers.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small red cocktail-sized tomatoes. The original vintage seed packets advertised them at 2.1-2.5 oz (60-70 g), but growers often find them maxing out closer to 1.6 oz (45 g).
- 👅 Flavor: Outstanding, old-school balanced flavor. Not overwhelmingly sweet, but featuring a perfect, refreshing harmony of acidity and sweetness. Great for snacking right off the vine.
I’ve had a packet of these seeds sitting around for a really long time. Last year I finally opened it up for Katyusha (Katrinka) and shared some seeds with her. Unfortunately, she got zero germination. But I actually managed to get exactly one single seed to sprout and grow. I planted the bush in a nice quiet spot of honor right under a white rose.
Galya, from 1989???
For me, it turned out to be more of an early-mid season variety. The bush height was about 31.5 inches (80 cm). The fruit weight fell a little short of the advertised 2.1-2.5 oz (60-70 g). The biggest ones I got were about 1.6 oz (45 g), but that’s just in my growing conditions.
Yeah Galinka, looks like it. Though if I remember correctly the seed packet was foil-lined, and I only cracked it open last year or maybe this winter?
Anyway, I’ll continue. Honestly, I only planted it because of the name. Katrinka wanted a namesake tomato for a relative. I didn’t even pay attention to the “great taste” promise on the label. But when I actually tried it, I realized the label wasn’t lying!
The Ivanushka tomato turned out to be genuinely delicious. It’s not pure sugar, but it has a really balanced flavor with a super pleasant ratio of acidity and sweetness.
So I saved seeds from a couple of them and just grazed on the rest straight off the bush as they ripened.
