Quick Summary of Solnechnyi (Sunny)
- 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare Russian heirloom variety popularized by the well-known tomato collector Vladimir Anderson. The name translates to “Sunny”.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season, and very tall. It is a highly vigorous and unpretentious plant that can easily reach 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets fruit reliably without skipping clusters.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, perfectly round tomatoes. They are medium-sized, averaging 120-150 grams (4.2-5.3 oz). The texture is right in the middle—neither too hard nor too soft.
- 👅 Flavor: The originator describes it as a “masterpiece of flavor”. It has a very pleasant, perfectly balanced classic tomato taste with prominent sugary sweetness and a nice complementary tang.
- ⏳ Culinary Use: Highly versatile (universal use). Great for fresh eating, slicing into salads, and highly recommended for whole-fruit canning as they do not get mushy in jars.
Originally, this variety comes from Vladimir Anderson’s collection. The description from his catalog states:
“SOLNECHNYI (Sunny) – 2m (6.5 ft) tall. 150g (5.3 oz), highly productive, red, sweet, sugary, very tasty, simply a masterpiece of flavor.”
It is an indeterminate, tall, mid-season, and very unpretentious variety. It grew in my greenhouse and reached 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) by the end of the season. The fruits are bright red, round, with an average weight of 120 grams (4.2 oz).
It is of universal use — whether for canning, for salads, or just to eat a fresh tomato right off the vine. The taste is very pleasant, balanced, with distinct sweetness and a nice little tang. The variety is quite productive, there were no skipped clusters (it didn’t drop any blossoms). I liked it very much, I will definitely be repeating it.
Could you tell me, please, are the fruits soft or firm? Would they be suitable for canning as peeled tomatoes?
Olya, the fruits are not soft. But they aren’t rock-hard either. It’s a middle-ground option, most likely perfectly universal. I haven’t tried canning them with the skin removed, but I really liked them in regular whole-fruit canning. They are tasty and do not get mealy or mushy in the jars.
Thank you, Elena. I want to order this variety from Vladimir Anderson this year.
olgalis2:
Thank you, Elena. I want to order this variety from Vladimir Anderson this year.
Did you end up getting it? I have unfortunately lost this variety along with my Sheboygan seeds. I would really love to get it back…
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