🍅 Quick take: St. Teresa (Svätá Terézia) is an indeterminate heirloom beefsteak originating from Slovakia and popularized through TomatoFest. In greenhouse trials, the vines reach 6 ft (1.8 m), producing heavy sets of dense, meaty, low-acid pink fruits running between 7 and 18 oz (200-500 g) with rich natural sweetness. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos
Awesome variety! Truly my standout discovery of the season 👍 Seeds came from TomatoFest in the States. Going by the catalog description, it is a Slovak family heirloom with superb flavor.
Grew it in the greenhouse, where it topped out around 6 ft (1.8 m). The fruits are pink, meaty, and sweet, with weights in my garden running from 7 to 18 oz (200-500 g). Heavy yielder too 🙌
Grew it in the greenhouse, where it topped out around 6 ft (1.8 m). The fruits are pink, meaty, and sweet, with weights in my garden running from 7 to 18 oz (200-500 g). Heavy yielder too 🙌
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate vine with regular foliage, growing roughly 6 ft (1.8 m) under glass or poly cover. Requires sturdy staking or overhead trellising to support heavy fruit clusters.
- 📈 Yield: High. Produced sustained sets of large beefsteaks throughout the season without significant blossom drop.
- 👅 Taste: Sweet, rich, and mellow. The flesh is dense, smooth, and meaty with minimal gel and small seed locules.
- 📦 Storage: Typical heirloom slicer skin tender enough for fine fresh eating, meaning fruit should be handled gently and eaten within a few days of harvest.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Veteran grower tomik (Tamara), evaluating American-sourced seed stock in protected greenhouse beds.
🍅 Grown St. Teresa? How did this Slovak heirloom perform in your garden? Share your harvest weights and notes below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Variety Profile: St. Teresa (Svätá Terézia)
St. Teresa is an old family heirloom originating from rural Slovakia, preserved across generations before being shared with Gary Ibsen at TomatoFest in Carmel, California.
St. Teresa is an old family heirloom originating from rural Slovakia, preserved across generations before being shared with Gary Ibsen at TomatoFest in Carmel, California.
Key Agronomic Characteristics:
- Days to Maturity (DTM): 80-85 days (mid to late season).
- Growth Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf (RL).
- Fruit Profile: Oblate pink beefsteak with smooth shoulders, averaging 10-18 oz (280-500 g).
How It Compares: Many old-world Central and Eastern European pink beefsteaks (such as Soldacki, Mikado Pink, or Polish) are famous for outstanding flavor but can be prone to radial shoulder cracking and catfacing during sudden temperature or moisture swings. St. Teresa stands out in trial gardens for producing exceptionally clean, smooth-shouldered fruit with tighter blossom ends and firmer interior walls, making it far more reliable in humid conditions or unheated greenhouses.
