🍅 Quick take: Ruby Surprise (Rubinovyi Syurpriz) is an exceptional indeterminate, mid-season heirloom believed to originate from Poland. The plants grow to a manageable 5 to 5.5 ft (1.6-1.7 m), making them ideal for greenhouse sidewalls. It pumps out colossal, dusky chocolate-red and ruby beefsteaks weighing anywhere from 11 oz (300 g) to over 21 oz (600 g). Renowned for rich, old-fashioned complexity, the dense, seed-poor ruby flesh offers a sweet, savory bite tailor-made for thick sandwich slices. Greenhouse vs heat trials ↓ | Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-10 Experience)
Ruby Surprise.
Believed to originate from Poland. Sourced the seeds from Valdis Pulins. Vigorous, mid-season indeterminate. Big-fruited, heavy producer with solid reported disease tolerance. The vine reached about 5.25 ft (1.6 m) in my polycarbonate high tunnel. Trained it to 2 leaders. Clusters set 3 to 4 fruits each, and it set every single truss without dropping a blossom.
The tomatoes are large, oblate, with smooth skins and gorgeous deep dark-red ruby coloring, running about 11 to 18 oz (300-500 g). As they mature, the interior turns from pale pink to a deep, dark ruby. The meat is dense and beefy yet loaded with juice, aromatic, and perfectly balanced. That rich, sugary, old-school heirloom flavor that sets the gold standard for me. Fantastic sandwich slicer. Absolutely keeping this in my permanent rotation. A true favorite!
Edited December 30, 2018 by Drosera
Believed to originate from Poland. Sourced the seeds from Valdis Pulins. Vigorous, mid-season indeterminate. Big-fruited, heavy producer with solid reported disease tolerance. The vine reached about 5.25 ft (1.6 m) in my polycarbonate high tunnel. Trained it to 2 leaders. Clusters set 3 to 4 fruits each, and it set every single truss without dropping a blossom.
The tomatoes are large, oblate, with smooth skins and gorgeous deep dark-red ruby coloring, running about 11 to 18 oz (300-500 g). As they mature, the interior turns from pale pink to a deep, dark ruby. The meat is dense and beefy yet loaded with juice, aromatic, and perfectly balanced. That rich, sugary, old-school heirloom flavor that sets the gold standard for me. Fantastic sandwich slicer. Absolutely keeping this in my permanent rotation. A true favorite!
Edited December 30, 2018 by Drosera
That cross section is absolutely gorgeous.
Heat Waves, High Tunnels, and Colossal Fruit Weights
Here is how my Ruby Surprise turned out.
Gorgeous reddish-brown chocolate color. Very few seeds inside. Overall yield was about average because the vine dropped blossoms during our extreme heatwave. All through July we had dry, baking weather hovering at 95°F (35°C) and above. The vine topped out around 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in the greenhouse. Fruits weighed up to 12 oz (350 g) with a dense, meaty texture. Loved the taste, very rich with savory, slightly spicy undertones.
Gorgeous reddish-brown chocolate color. Very few seeds inside. Overall yield was about average because the vine dropped blossoms during our extreme heatwave. All through July we had dry, baking weather hovering at 95°F (35°C) and above. The vine topped out around 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in the greenhouse. Fruits weighed up to 12 oz (350 g) with a dense, meaty texture. Loved the taste, very rich with savory, slightly spicy undertones.
Ruby Surprise was a brand-new trial for me this season and what a delightful surprise it turned out to be! Huge shoutout to Tatyana Sh. for sharing the seeds, forever grateful to her.
Grew one vine in the greenhouse and another outdoors in open ground. The sheltered greenhouse plant performed significantly better, much heavier production. The vine stays on the compact side for an indeterminate, making it an ideal candidate to tuck along the greenhouse sidewalls, which is exactly where I put it. Ran it with two leaders. Strong, stout vine, the second stem arched over and filled out empty canopy space nicely since I had the room.
Every single tomato on the vine was big or colossal, starting at 21 oz (600 g) and climbing higher. Total showstoppers that draw your eye immediately. Shape is oblate with broad ribbing gathered around the stem. Dark chocolate-red skin with truly ruby-red interior flesh. The flavor is complex, savory, and deep. The kind of old-school tomato you just want to slice thick, hit with coarse salt, and devour over a crusty piece of bread. Premier salad and sandwich slicer with fantastic overall yield.
Edited August 29, 2023 by Lyudmila PLS
Grew one vine in the greenhouse and another outdoors in open ground. The sheltered greenhouse plant performed significantly better, much heavier production. The vine stays on the compact side for an indeterminate, making it an ideal candidate to tuck along the greenhouse sidewalls, which is exactly where I put it. Ran it with two leaders. Strong, stout vine, the second stem arched over and filled out empty canopy space nicely since I had the room.
Every single tomato on the vine was big or colossal, starting at 21 oz (600 g) and climbing higher. Total showstoppers that draw your eye immediately. Shape is oblate with broad ribbing gathered around the stem. Dark chocolate-red skin with truly ruby-red interior flesh. The flavor is complex, savory, and deep. The kind of old-school tomato you just want to slice thick, hit with coarse salt, and devour over a crusty piece of bread. Premier salad and sandwich slicer with fantastic overall yield.
Edited August 29, 2023 by Lyudmila PLS
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant & Growth Habit: Mid-season indeterminate with strong, sturdy stems that maintain a manageable height of 5 to 5.5 ft (1.6-1.7 m). Its moderate stature makes it exceptionally suited for lower high-tunnel sidewalls. Handles 2-stem training with ease.
- 📈 Yield & Weight: Produces heavy crops of large to colossal beefsteaks. Individual fruit weights range from 11-18 oz (300-500 g) up to massive specimens exceeding 21 oz (600 g). Greenhouse culture significantly outperforms open-ground trials in cool climates, though extreme prolonged heat waves above 95°F (35°C) can cause blossom drop.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Dense, meaty, seed-poor ruby interior with plenty of juice. Rich, complex, and savory with an old-fashioned balance of sweetness and spice. Widely praised as an ideal fresh slicing and sandwich cultivar.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Grown across varied conditions from the sub-tropical climate of Las Palmas, Spain (Zone 10) to continental Russian zones (Zone 3/4 Bashkortostan and Moscow Region).
