🍅 Quick take: Red Charcoal is an indeterminate anthocyanin slicer bred by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms. Producing eye-catching 3 to 7 oz (80-200 g) round fruits with jet-black/purple splashed shoulders over a scarlet base, it frequently develops prominent pointed beaks. Northern growers report that while it stays dwarf-sized under 3.3 ft (1 m) outdoors in cold summers, it climbs past 5 ft (1.5 m) in greenhouses, yielding firm, crack-resistant slicers whose flavor transitions from classic old-school acid to sweet, jammy plum notes when dead-ripe. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-6 Experience)
Grew this in the greenhouse. Indeterminate, regular leaf foliage, round scarlet fruit with dark purple anthocyanin shoulders and streaks, weighing around 3-3.5 oz (80-100 g). The photo didn’t capture the real colors accurately; it makes them look orange 😳
Oksana! Why aren’t you spilling the beans on that mouthwatering flavor? 😋 A looker like that has got to be downright heavenly, even outside the sunny South! 😄
Grew mine outdoors in open ground. Planted late, so I had to ripen them off the vine indoors. Outstanding variety 👍. In my garden, it ended up being the largest and tastiest among all my blue anthocyanin types. In the open garden, the plant stayed fairly compact, under 3.3 ft (1 m).
Natasha, does the vine take up a lot of real estate? I am planning to stick it outdoors too. How did you prune it, how many leaders? Think I could plant two close together?
Elena 62 wrote: Natasha, does the vine take up a lot of real estate? I am planning to stick it outdoors too. How did you prune it, how many leaders? Think I could plant two close together?
Elena, the plant turned out thick-stemmed and vigorous. Since I got it into the ground so late, it probably didn’t show its full potential. For that same reason, I kept it strictly to a single stem; figured it wouldn’t have time to ripen a heavier fruit load before frost anyway. I doubt two plants would fit side by side in tight spacing 🤷. I fell in love with it 😘. Absolute stunner and super tasty 😋
Flavor Verdict: Classic Acid vs. Jammy Plum Sweetness
Elena 62 wrote: Oksana! Why aren’t you spilling the beans on that mouthwatering flavor?
Elena, honestly, I had varieties that tasted way better 😄. It didn’t really blow me away…
The flavor is deeply rich and remarkably balanced when it is dead-ripe, right at the point where the texture softens up just like a ripe plum.
Grew this from seed. Really liked that it pumps out respectably sized fruits for an anthocyanin type, about 5-7 oz (150-200 g). Grew in the greenhouse in less-than-ideal lighting, topping out around 5 ft (1.5 m) tall. Yield was very solid for me. The flavor was just good, traditional, old-fashioned tomato. Might have missed out on some nutrients or extra sun in my setup. Giving the variety a solid B grade (4 out of 5 stars). Definitely worth growing again.
Grew it in the greenhouse in 2016. My conditions were dark and wet.
The plant looked scrawny and weak, tucked into the darkest corner, but still produced delicious, high-quality fruit true to type. Saved seed from it. Then in 2017 I gave away every single seedling to friends and forgot to keep one for myself :-. The local gardening gals raved about it and showered me with thanks!
Highly recommended.
The plant looked scrawny and weak, tucked into the darkest corner, but still produced delicious, high-quality fruit true to type. Saved seed from it. Then in 2017 I gave away every single seedling to friends and forgot to keep one for myself :-. The local gardening gals raved about it and showered me with thanks!
Highly recommended.
Siberian Greenhouse Trials: Red Charcoal vs. Amethyst Jewel
I grew Red Charcoal back in 2015. It really stuck in my memory for its taste, heavy yield, and looks. Flavor: top tier! In my native soil, it tasted even better than Amethyst Jewel. Distinct shape too, perfectly round. Gorgeous fruit. I find myself wanting to grow it every single season. Ran it in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Sized out around 7 oz (200 g) on average, with some a bit smaller and others noticeably larger.
Another winning repeat among my blue varieties: Red Charcoal. The fruits ran a little smaller this season than in years past, but still the same trouble-free, high-yielding, flavorful performer! A lot of them developed cute pointed blossom-end beaks this year.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Climate Flexibility
- 🌿 Growth Habit: Indeterminate with regular leaf foliage. In open-ground beds with short growing seasons, it remains naturally compact, staying under 3.3 ft (1 m). In greenhouses, it easily climbs past 5 ft (1.5 m), setting fruit reliably even in shaded corners.
- ⚖️ Fruit Size & Shape: Round to slightly blunt saladette and slicer, averaging 3 to 7 oz (80-200 g). Features charcoal-purple anthocyanin shoulders over deep crimson skin, often developing pronounced blossom-end pointed beaks.
- 👅 Flavor Profile: Very dependent on ripeness. When harvested early or in cool, overcast conditions, it offers a standard tangy, old-fashioned tomato profile. When left to achieve tree-ripeness and soften to a plum-like texture, sugars concentrate into a rich, sweet, well-balanced bite.
- 📈 Yield & Reliability: Consistently praised as a trouble-free, high-yielding antho variety. Handles post-harvest counter ripening smoothly without cracking or losing texture.
- 🌎 Reviewed In: USDA Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Siberia, Belarus, Moscow Region, Kaluga, and North Caucasus).
