{"id":1528,"date":"2026-09-01T11:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T11:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=1528"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T11:40:17","slug":"chocolate-bunny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/chocolate-bunny\/","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate Bunny (Shokoladniy Zaychik) Tomato Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1528&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Chocolate Bunny (Shokoladniy Zaychik) Tomato Review&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<h2>Quick Summary of Shokoladniy Zaychik (Chocolate Bunny)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf0d <strong>Origin:<\/strong> A highly popular commercial and collector variety from Russia. The name translates to &#8220;Chocolate Bunny&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf3f <strong>Plant Habit:<\/strong> Generally an indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous plant. However, growers note it is very sensitive to soil moisture and fertility; in dry, sandy soils, it may act like a determinate and terminate its growth early at 40 cm (16 inches). It produces a massive amount of suckers and can be grown as a multi-stemmed bush (up to 10+ stems).<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf45 <strong>Fruit Characteristics:<\/strong> Dark brown\/mahogany oval or plum-shaped cocktail tomatoes.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc45 <strong>Flavor &amp; Culinary Use:<\/strong> Flavor reviews are highly polarized. Some find it sweet and fruity, while others call it plain or bland when eaten fresh. However, it is highly praised for canning, pickling, and sun-drying because it fits perfectly in jars and rarely cracks.<\/li>\n<li>\u2614 <strong>Growing Quirks:<\/strong> An absolute yield monster (&#8220;works like a photocopier&#8221;), but it is noted to be highly susceptible to Blossom End Rot (BER) in hot or dry conditions.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udd75\ufe0f\u200d\u2642\ufe0f <strong>The &#8220;Clone&#8221; Controversy:<\/strong> Many experienced growers believe this variety is genetically identical to several other dark plums on the market, such as <em>Black Moor (Chernyi Mavr)<\/em>, <em>De Barao Black<\/em>, <em>Gusev&#8217;s Prune (Chernosliv)<\/em>, and <em>Spanish Dark Crimson<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"add-review-cta\" style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 4px solid #4CAF50; border-radius: 4px;\"><strong>\ud83c\udf45 Grown this variety?<\/strong> <a href=\"#wpdcom\">Click here to add your own photos and review below!<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Svetlyachok-plus (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,450 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Chocolate Bunny in the catalog on the old forum.<\/p>\n<p>A yummy cherry variety \ud83d\ude0b. The taste is very pleasant, sweet with a good tang. The bush is not tall; outdoors in open ground, it was no taller than 70cm (27 in) for me. Very beautiful, smooth, brown little ovals. I liked them very much \ud83d\udc4d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/61376_6509d0ffb15e80f902fec539261f79fd939311a4.jpg\" alt=\"Shokoladniy Zaychik (Chocolate Bunny) tomato bush\" width=\"657\" height=\"492\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/61378_a1495a5880f16d4681e4328f76a20d17f704121f.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Bunny dark tomatoes on vine\" width=\"657\" height=\"492\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Svetikk (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (29,352 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Moscow \/ Stupinsky District, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>The most productive cocktail tomato variety in my memory \ud83d\ude0b There must have been around 400 fruits on the bush \ud83d\ude32 I picked them, gave them away, processed them, marinated them, and still have a whole tray sitting there \ud83d\ude4c<\/p>\n<p>It grew outdoors, and I barely pruned the suckers. The bush turned out huge and sprawling\u2014I exhausted myself tying it up. It\u2019s an indeterminate; I topped the stems at about a meter (3 ft) so that the last trusses could gain weight by mid-August. The taste seemed a bit plain to me fresh, but they are absolutely perfect for marinating in jars \ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n<p>In the photo, the bush is already heavily picked over:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/32\/166-010914072435.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/32\/thumb_166-010914072435.jpeg\" alt=\"Huge sprawling Chocolate Bunny bush\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/32\/166-010914072350.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/32\/thumb_166-010914072350.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvested cocktail dark tomatoes\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">D<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Dzhina (Evgeniya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,798 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>It is definitely the most productive! By description, mine looked more like the second one (like Svetikk&#8217;s): indeterminate, sprawling. But the taste isn&#8217;t plain; it&#8217;s sweet with a tang. A very good variety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">salix (Iva) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (631 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I planted Chocolate Bunny two years in a row, but in very different parts of the garden. Last year, I planted it in a bed with loose, black soil in a moister spot. The bush was about 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, kept growing and setting fruit until the end of September. It was quite productive and one of the three earliest to ripen. I saved seeds from the best bush (second truss).<\/p>\n<p>This year, on a sandier and drier bed, the bush only grew to 40 cm (16 in) and terminated itself (stopped growing) after the second truss. Accordingly, the yield was very small, and it ripened much later than last year.<\/p>\n<p>It is very tasty when pickled (I make cold-brined tomatoes), and it fills the empty spaces in the jar perfectly. I will definitely keep planting it, but I will take its demands into account\u2014it needs a lot of food and water \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">elena77 <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,595 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Chocolate Bunny is fantastic in canning \ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\ude0b I&#8217;m planting it for the second year. A very productive and unpretentious variety, still ripening on the bush. Here is yesterday&#8217;s harvest \ud83d\ude04, next to &#8216;Blush&#8217; \ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/33\/24-100914140836.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/33\/thumb_24-100914140836.jpeg\" alt=\"Chocolate Bunny mixed with Blush tomatoes\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">swetlana <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Beginner (21 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I also planted Chocolate Bunny this year (seeds from A.I. Kulik). Well, it&#8217;s very productive, and I agree with Svetikk\u2014it&#8217;s a bit plain fresh, but excellent for canning jars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">P<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Pani Tomat (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (8,773 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Season 2015:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/82\/13618-090815165442.jpeg\" alt=\"Chocolate Bunny hanging thick on the vine\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">K<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">kalinka-malinka (Nataliya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,061 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Ordered from Redko.<br \/>\nGrew in the greenhouse. At first, it set fruit poorly, but by mid-summer, it kicked into high gear and produced massive clusters without skipping any. The clusters were even more impressive than <em>De Barao Black<\/em> (I&#8217;m actually wondering which one I&#8217;ll plant next year).<\/p>\n<p>The taste has a bit of sweetness, but this year I had many other tastier varieties for fresh eating. However, for sun-drying, it is perfect! I haven&#8217;t tried canning it.<\/p>\n<p>If you compare it with <em>De Barao Black<\/em>\u2014you can&#8217;t tell them apart by looks, and the taste is about the same (though this one was a bit plainer for me). But the yield is better because the distance between the trusses is shorter. Conclusion? \ud83d\ude09<br \/>\nTall, strong bush. Didn&#8217;t catch any diseases, didn&#8217;t crack. Stores well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">ElenaPr (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,433 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I grew mine outdoors. This is how it turned out. Productive, fell over from the weight of the fruits. Tasty, and a very convenient size for canning.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/13195-191015122615.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/thumb_13195-191015122615.jpeg\" alt=\"Fallen over tomato plant loaded with fruit\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/80\/13195-040815024712.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/80\/thumb_13195-040815024712.jpeg\" alt=\"Dark brown plum tomatoes\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/87\/13195-310815075616.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/87\/thumb_13195-310815075616.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvested Chocolate Bunny tomatoes\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">elsha (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,117 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Voronezh, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>This is my Bunny. Cold brined\/salted\u2014absolutely delicious!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/89\/thumb_12015-110915015728.jpeg\" alt=\"Canned Chocolate Bunny tomatoes\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/89\/thumb_12015-110915015507.jpeg\" alt=\"Dark cocktail tomatoes in jar\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Agnija <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Moderator (2,530 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Pskov Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My <em>Black Moor (Chernyi Mavr)<\/em> is exactly the same as all the photos and descriptions here. And Moor is also often equated to <em>De Barao Black<\/em>, and Moor is also earlier. Are they triplets?<\/p>\n<p>We need to call in the duplicate expert\u2014Tomatinka.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">K<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">kalinka-malinka (Nataliya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,061 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Agnija:<\/strong><br \/>\nMy Black Moor is exactly the same&#8230; Are they triplets?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>No, Moor is different. I don&#8217;t remember who, but someone compared them. They say Moor is better than Bunny, and its fruits are slightly different\u2014wider, more barrel-shaped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ladoga (Anzhela) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,816 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I had 3 bushes, and all of them were very productive. An excellent variety. In canning jars alongside yellow ones, they look amazing. I&#8217;ll test the taste when I open the jars. Didn&#8217;t get sick, didn&#8217;t crack. I liked it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/78\/13551-250715170547.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/78\/thumb_13551-250715170547.jpeg\" alt=\"Beautiful jars of pickled tomatoes\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/79\/13551-290715020501.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/79\/thumb_13551-290715020501.jpeg\" alt=\"Chocolate Bunny growing on vine\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Sweet (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (8,792 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Belgorod Region, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Thanks to Tatyana and Tomatanya for the Chocolate Bunny seedlings:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/5-201015154624-959431122.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/thumb_5-201015154624-959431122.jpeg\" alt=\"Shokoladniy Zaychik truss\" width=\"122\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/5-201015154624-95952745.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/95\/thumb_5-201015154624-95952745.jpeg\" alt=\"Dense yield of dark cocktail tomatoes\" width=\"121\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">Z<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Zolushka (Olya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (12,747 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Mytishchi\/Pushkino, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Grew it outdoors in open ground, and wow, it is something else \ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c<br \/>\nIn the photo &#8211; the second wave is ripening. There were 3 waves in total. At first, I pruned it to 2 stems, and then I just gave up \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f<br \/>\nThe number of fruits defies calculation, and it was one of the first to start ripening.<br \/>\nGood fresh and for canning.<br \/>\nIt reminded me of <em>De Barao Black<\/em>, but more productive. A candidate to be repeated in 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/103\/13417-251215033506.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/103\/thumb_13417-251215033506.jpeg\" alt=\"Massive yield outdoors\" width=\"160\" height=\"106\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/100\/13417-011215041222.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/100\/thumb_13417-011215041222.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvested Chocolate Bunny\" width=\"160\" height=\"106\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ladoga (Anzhela) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,816 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I&#8217;ll quote myself \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\n<p>We opened the jars and tried them. Chocolate Bunny and Blush are very tasty canned. Everyone in my family liked them. They don&#8217;t fall apart or get mushy\/stringy. Blush is sweeter, and Bunny is just beautiful. Honestly, they are tasty. I will plant them again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Andrey_K (Andrey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (994 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>There is absolutely no flavor to them when canned, this variety is completely unsuitable for pickling&#8230; it lacks the proper aroma. A cherry is just a cherry. You should only eat them fresh in salads in the summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ladoga (Anzhela) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,816 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Andrey_K:<\/strong><br \/>\nthis variety is completely unsuitable for pickling&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Are you talking about the Bunny? \ud83e\udd14 First of all, it&#8217;s not a cherry&#8230; and secondly, you create the aroma yourself depending on the spices. Everything smells the same in the jar, only the flesh, color, and texture differ. And for me, on the contrary, I didn&#8217;t like it in salads. All of mine went straight into the canning jars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Andrey_K (Andrey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (994 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Ladoga:<\/strong><br \/>\nAre you talking about the Bunny? \ud83e\udd14 First of all, it&#8217;s not a cherry&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Well, cocktail size&#8230; not a big difference&#8230; In a jar, everything smells different&#8230; The brine might be the same, but the tomatoes taste different depending on the variety. And Bunny in a pickle jar is just nothing. I actively fish it out from among the others periodically. It&#8217;s hard to confuse it with others&#8230; It&#8217;s just not for pickling&#8230; absolutely not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Gulya (Lyubov) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,927 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Leningrad Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I also really like Chocolate Bunny. Consistently high-yielding, not late, and not disease-prone. When canned, it hardly cracks or turns to mush. Yes, it&#8217;s not a salad tomato. But the taste of the marinated ones suits me perfectly. I&#8217;ve grown it for 4 years and plan to plant it again in 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">O<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Olvia (Olya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I grew <em>Black Moor<\/em>, <em>Chocolate Bunny<\/em>, and <em>Spanish Dark Crimson<\/em>. Visually, the fruits are identical. Taste-wise, I preferred Spanish Dark Crimson\u2014it was denser, had thicker walls, and the flavor seemed more pleasant. The first two taste practically identical.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll continue. The flavor is very fluctuating. It became noticeably tastier in September. And its yield in September was simply magical. I pulled up bushes full of heavy clusters of green tomatoes. The size in the summer was 3-4 cm, but in the fall it reached up to 6 cm. An amazing variety. I will definitely keep it and increase the number of bushes.<\/p>\n<p><em>Black Moor<\/em>, <em>Spanish Dark Crimson<\/em>, and <em>Chocolate Bunny<\/em> are the exact same variety; I saw no differences. Many write that <em>De Barao Black<\/em> belongs in this same group too. Which one is the original, and which one is the imposter\u2014that is the question?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">I<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Irina G. <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Beginner (82 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I really liked the Chocolate Bunny variety. Productive, tasty. I grew it to 4 stems. One of the few varieties that had zero issues with fruit setting (blossom drop) in 2016. The cocktail tomatoes look great in jars with marinade. Here is my bush in the greenhouse.<\/p>\n<p>I highly recommend this variety. In 2017, I will try to grow and compare it side-by-side with Black Moor.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/153\/16475-131116132316.jpeg\" alt=\"Healthy Chocolate Bunny plant in greenhouse\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">F<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">fire-cherry (Inga) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,156 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Grew Chocolate Bunny in the greenhouse two years in a row. In 2015, I planted it alongside <em>Prune (Chernosliv)<\/em> from Gusev. They grew up to be identical twin brothers. One to one. I thought maybe I mixed up the labels. In 2016, I planted Gusev&#8217;s Prune again, Bunny from 2015 saved seeds, and bought a new packet of Bunny from Redko for comparison. All of them grew into identical twins again. No differences in appearance, size, fruit, or taste. Gusev writes about his Prune that it is an old heirloom variety. Go figure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">O<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Olvia (Olya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from fire-cherry:<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8230;planted it alongside Prune from Gusev. They grew up to be identical twin brothers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;m so glad I read your post. I almost ordered Prune. Just another clone of the Bunny.<\/p>\n<p>(And I have this creeping suspicion that our private collectors have started selling surplus seeds of their saved varieties to commercial seed companies, rebranding them.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">I<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Irina_N (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,954 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>For me, Chocolate Bunny, Black Moor, Kumato, and De Barao Black are all twins. I mean, absolutely identical \ud83d\ude32<\/p>\n<p>And for some reason, they burst in my canning jars, even though the size is perfect for jars \ud83d\ude1e And they are a bit tart (though that&#8217;s not a drawback for me).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Lyusya <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Beginner (96 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Planted Bunny for the first year\u2014surprised by its yield. Literally showered in tomatoes. They say it&#8217;s disease-resistant, but Blossom End Rot (BER) tortured me. Very convenient to pack into liter jars, and they look beautiful. But the taste of the fresh fruits didn&#8217;t impress me, kind of plain. Will I plant it next year? Probably not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">ALIANNA (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (8,189 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stavropol Krai, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Blossom End Rot ate almost all of my fruits too. Out of 160 varieties, only 2 varieties were affected by BER: Chocolate Bunny and Sakmara Pickling. I won&#8217;t sow it again, there are a great multitude of cherries and cluster tomatoes that are resistant, tasty, and productive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">TatyanaSh (Tatyana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,470 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Ramensky Dist, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Grew it this year outdoors. Very productive, didn&#8217;t have any BER. Fresh taste is so-so, and a bit too soft in jars for my liking. Most likely won&#8217;t plant again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Syr-Daryinets (Alexander) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,355 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Leningrad Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Chocolate Bunny (seeds from Tumanov). Grew one bush in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Started it at 4 stems, then, seeing that there were no problems with fruit set, I let it branch out to 11-12 stems. Trusses strictly had 7 fruits each\u2014it worked like a photocopier (endless yield)&#8230; as a result, the harvest was huge \ud83d\ude4c! The taste this summer wasn&#8217;t top-tier, but for the yield alone, it stays on the permanent planting roster \ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">I<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">ilja (Ilya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (758 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Klin, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Chocolate Bunny in the greenhouse reached nearly 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. Productive, mid-season ripening. The fruits were very tasty, sweet, with a fruity aftertaste.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/68172_006fe1475f4e0d44a2104d0b9c29efa7fcd1439e.jpg\" alt=\"Shokoladniy Zaychik round plump fruits\" width=\"499\" height=\"499\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/68174_b6500e5b59ad9532bd0cf78d209cdd35fe306323.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Bunny dark red brown color\" width=\"499\" height=\"499\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">N<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">neLENTyayka (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,774 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kemerovo, Siberia, Russia (USDA Zone 2)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>SOOOO productive (despite the small size) and tasty.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d.radikal.ru\/d29\/1911\/b9\/ad36a9aadee1.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/d.radikal.ru\/d29\/1911\/b9\/ad36a9aadee1t.jpg\" alt=\"Harvest image\" width=\"155\" height=\"25\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Lenhik (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (972 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Usolye, Perm Krai, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Grew Chocolate Bunny and Black Moor. Twin varieties. They started fruiting together and very actively. Shape, size, yield\u2014absolutely identical. Had BER on a couple of fruits during the heatwave. The difference between the varieties only became noticeable in August. Chocolate Bunny stopped its growth at 1.5 meters (5 ft) and its leaves started getting sick. All went into salads, because they are tasty. Didn&#8217;t bother saving seeds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">V<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Valena (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (426 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Ruza, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I&#8217;ve been growing Black Moor for a long time, about 5 years, store-bought seeds. The grandkids demand I plant it. Chocolate Bunny for me is an exact copy of Black Moor, just as unpretentious and tasty, but the grandkids and I prefer Black Moor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Apelsinka (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,788 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Ryazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I don&#8217;t know exactly whether Bunny or Moor grew for me. A productive, dark pear-shape, very tasty, sweet-and-sour, aromatic, I liked it very much!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">V<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Valena (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (426 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Ruza, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Apelsinka:<\/strong><br \/>\nA productive, dark pear-shape&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>No, then that&#8217;s neither Bunny nor Moor. Their shape is an oval or a large plum, brown in color.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">tomatinka (Vera) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (14,911 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Tyumen Region, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2025_08\/20250822_094807.jpg.41caaf654135abfdd549ed936892c7a0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2025_08\/20250822_094807.thumb.jpg.b73ffa9919ac8bfc2d9dc76e1a5795bd.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful dark Chocolate Bunny tomatoes\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2025_09\/20250914_105501.jpg.94a70e0f6b82160b24a981fb9e6d54b0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2025_09\/20250914_105501.thumb.jpg.8a671361d6d049529d1ece6379777c8c.jpg\" alt=\"Harvested Chocolate Bunny cocktail tomatoes\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick Summary of Shokoladniy Zaychik (Chocolate Bunny) \ud83c\udf0d Origin: A highly popular commercial and collector variety from Russia. The name translates to &#8220;Chocolate Bunny&#8221;. \ud83c\udf3f Plant Habit: Generally an indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous plant. However, growers note it is very sensitive to soil moisture and fertility; in dry, sandy soils, it may act like &#8230; <a title=\"Chocolate Bunny (Shokoladniy Zaychik) Tomato Review\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/chocolate-bunny\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Chocolate Bunny (Shokoladniy Zaychik) Tomato Review\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,3,102,162,5],"tags":[88,56,26,19,30,50,33],"class_list":["post-1528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-purple-tomatoes","category-cherry-grape-tomatoes","category-cocktail-salad-tomatoes","category-plum-tomatoes","category-russian-eastern-european-heirlooms","tag-blossom-end-rot","tag-canning-tomato","tag-cocktail-tomato","tag-dark-tomato","tag-heavy-yielder","tag-high-yield","tag-indeterminate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1529,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1528\/revisions\/1529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}