Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
Got these seeds from V. Kolyakov. Here’s his original description:
Tall vine, large-fruited. A true Russian family heirloom. Received this variety from a hardworking, tomato-obsessed lady out in the Russian countryside. Her family has grown it for generations. Mid-season. Fruits are large, with a mysterious, hard-to-describe color. Absolutely stunning – a red base with blurred pinkish-raspberry halos and a pearlescent sheen. Reaches up to 7 oz (200 g). Pure sugar when sliced. Incredible yield! Supposedly “perfected” over 100 years and not found in any other seed collections in the world. Late blight resistant! My absolute pride and joy!
Well, for me it turned out to be a really stingy yielder. And the flavor was just downright weird. At first bite, it was completely bland, but the aftertaste was literally salty. Just awful. On top of that, the fruits cracked on me constantly.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Issues
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate, tall vine. Mid-season. Advertised as highly resistant to late blight.
- 🍅 Fruit: Reaches up to 7 oz (200 g). Very unique appearance – red skin with blurred pink-raspberry halos and a pearlescent glow. Unfortunately, highly prone to cracking.
- 📈 Yield: The vendor promises an “incredible” harvest, but in actual garden conditions (Zone 4), it proved to be a very low yielder.
- 👅 Taste: Extremely disappointing despite the “pure sugar” claims. Described by the grower as bland upfront with a bizarre, salty finish.
