{"id":4675,"date":"2026-10-07T12:31:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T12:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=4675"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T12:31:09","slug":"italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/italian\/","title":{"rendered":"Italianskie (Italian) Tomato Review &#038; Photos"},"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;4675&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;Italianskie (Italian) Tomato Review \\u0026amp; Photos&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<div class=\"tldr-box\" style=\"background: #f4f9f4; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #4CAF50; margin-bottom: 30px; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<h3>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italianskie (Italian)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf0d <strong>Origin:<\/strong> Sourced from various Russian seed collectors (like Petrov and Monakhova). Often compared to or suspected to be a strain of <em>Super Italian Paste<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf3f <strong>Plant Habit:<\/strong> Vigorous indeterminate (tall) vines. Growers recommend pruning to 2 or 3 main leaders. Highly resistant to Late Blight and Blossom End Rot (BER).<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf45 <strong>Fruit Characteristics:<\/strong> Red, elongated, blocky\/sausage-shaped tomatoes with a glossy finish. They are known for having hollow locules (empty seed cavities) and very little juice.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc45 <strong>Flavor &amp; Use:<\/strong> Because they are dry and semi-hollow, they are not ideal for fresh eating or juicing. However, their dense, chewy flesh makes them top-tier for canning whole or making sun-dried tomatoes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\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\">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 really liked this variety. Indeterminate, vigorous plant with strong foliage. The trusses hold 6-8 fruits. They are long, with no green shoulders, and they don&#8217;t crack. They are very dense and have small hollow locules inside, but honestly, I didn&#8217;t even notice the hollows once they were canned.<\/p>\n<p>I opened a quart (1 L) jar specifically to taste-test these tomatoes. They stayed perfectly firm and tasted delicious. We ate the whole jar in one sitting \ud83d\ude0b. The variety is quite resistant to Late Blight, and I had zero Blossom End Rot. It keeps growing right up until the frost. I will definitely be planting it again. These are going straight into the canning jars with the rest of my harvest.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/13551-021114072405.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/thumb_13551-021114072405.jpeg\" alt=\"Elongated Italianskie tomatoes harvested in a container\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/13551-021114080731.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/thumb_13551-021114080731.jpeg\" alt=\"Cross section of Italianskie tomato showing hollow locules\" 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\">ElenaN (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (28,513 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kostroma (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Italianskie are beautiful tomatoes &#8211; red, glossy, and they have a really interesting shape. But mine were almost entirely hollow inside \ud83d\ude1e. They were on the dry side with practically zero juice. I didn&#8217;t try pickling them, though.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-131114003652.jpeg\" alt=\"Italianskie red sausage tomatoes on a plate\" width=\"496\" height=\"424\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-131114003239.jpeg\" alt=\"Elongated shape of Italian tomato\" width=\"516\" height=\"353\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/111-131114003253.jpeg\" alt=\"Sliced Italian tomato showing dry semi hollow interior\" width=\"406\" height=\"447\" \/><\/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\">Galina Vasilievna (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,139 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>These would be super convenient for sun-drying and dehydrating.<\/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>They seemed a bit dry to me too, but they are absolutely fantastic for canning, I didn&#8217;t even expect it. The flesh doesn&#8217;t turn to mush; they stay nice and firm. Last year the fruits were better, but this season the yield was lower and they were drier.<\/p>\n<p>I agree they&#8217;d be great for sun-drying, but I worry about the skin! Will it be too chewy? It&#8217;s pretty thick. Definitely not suitable for juicing, but if you can them whole in tomato juice, they are incredibly tasty. Here is what they look like on the vine (the ripe red ones were already picked) on a single stem. It&#8217;s better to prune them to 2 or even 3 leaders, I think the plant can handle it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/13551-021114074433.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/39\/thumb_13551-021114074433.jpeg\" alt=\"Green elongated Italianskie tomatoes on the vine\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/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\">Tusya (Natalya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,553 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Ladies, whose seed line of Italianskie did you grow?<\/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>Mine were from Petrov.<\/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\">Ninu (Nina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,641 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Klin District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I grew them for 2 years as well. My seeds were from &#8220;Semenograd&#8221; &#8211; Petrov.<\/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\">Galya-64 (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (4,414 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I&#8217;ll add my two cents: An interesting variety, but the tomatoes are definitely on the hollow side.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/685-131114072036.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/40\/thumb_685-131114072036.jpeg\" alt=\"Sliced Italianskie showing hollow seed cavities\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/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\">ElenaN (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (28,513 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kostroma (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My seeds for this variety came from Vera Monakhova.<\/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\">Sandr (Alexander) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Grower (339 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Here is what Italianskie looks like on the inside. It&#8217;s probably best suited for canning and drying.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/61821_d88b5b122fde5d8018bf22cf731f4d93335cbe5b.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/attachments01\/61821_d88b5b122fde5d8018bf22cf731f4d93335cbe5b.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander's cross section of the dry Italian paste tomato\" width=\"736\" height=\"552\" \/><\/a><\/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\">VALENTINA\/Abakan (Valentina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Guest<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Good day\/night everyone. I&#8217;ve been looking at these photos over and over&#8230; and came to the conclusion that what I&#8217;m growing must be Italianskie too. I don&#8217;t remember where I got the seeds, but if it&#8217;s not this one, please correct me. I really loved this variety&#8230; and it matches the description perfectly \ud83d\udc4f<\/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\">Frekenbok (Lyuda) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Grower (7 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p>Good day\/night everyone. I&#8217;ve been looking at these photos over and over&#8230; and came to the conclusion that what I&#8217;m growing must be Italianskie too. I don&#8217;t remember where I got the seeds, but if it&#8217;s not this one, please correct me. I really loved this variety&#8230; and it matches the description perfectly \ud83d\udc4f<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It looks a lot like <em>Zhigolo (Gigolo)<\/em>.<\/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 (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Ladies, correct me if I&#8217;m wrong \ud83e\udee3. But this looks like a twin to <em>Super Italian Paste<\/em>. Mine looked exactly like this \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udee3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">123lyudmila (Lyudmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,361 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Rostov-on-Don (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>It looks like a lot of different varieties, they probably just differ by plant habit and overall yield.<\/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\">Valentina (Valentina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Grower (825 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Abakan, Khakassia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p>It looks a lot like <em>Zhigolo (Gigolo)<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>No, it&#8217;s not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/zhigalo\/\"><em>Zhigolo<\/em><\/a> \ud83d\ude09 it&#8217;s <em>Italianskie<\/em> \ud83c\udfa9. I absolutely fell in love with this variety for sun-drying, and it&#8217;s delicious canned. The fruit shape is so unusual &#8211; they look like little bricks \ud83e\udd70<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"editor-note\" style=\"background: #eef7ff; padding: 15px; border-left: 4px solid #2196F3; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 1.2em;\"><strong>\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83c\udf3e Editor&#8217;s Note: Hollow &#8220;Stuffer&#8221; Paste Tomatoes<\/strong><br \/>\nThe discussion here perfectly illustrates the dilemma of growing elongated &#8220;sausage&#8221; style tomatoes (like <em>Super Italian Paste<\/em>, <em>Jersey Devil<\/em>, or the Russian variety <em>Zhigolo<\/em>). Many gardeners get alarmed when they slice them open and find dry, hollow seed cavities. But as Ladoga points out, this isn&#8217;t a defect\u2014it&#8217;s a feature! That exact dry, hollow nature is what prevents them from turning to mush when processed in a water bath canner, and it makes them the absolute best choice for dehydrators. If you try to sun-dry a juicy beefsteak, it takes days and often molds. These &#8220;little bricks&#8221; dry down beautifully!<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italianskie (Italian) \ud83c\udf0d Origin: Sourced from various Russian seed collectors (like Petrov and Monakhova). Often compared to or suspected to be a strain of Super Italian Paste. \ud83c\udf3f Plant Habit: Vigorous indeterminate (tall) vines. Growers recommend pruning to 2 or 3 main leaders. Highly resistant to Late Blight and Blossom End &#8230; <a title=\"Italianskie (Italian) Tomato Review &#038; Photos\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/italian\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italianskie (Italian) Tomato Review &#038; Photos\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,94,162,438],"tags":[56,480,33,57,1178,87],"class_list":["post-4675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paste-canning","category-heirloom-other","category-plum-tomatoes","category-red-tomatoes","tag-canning-tomato","tag-elongated-tomato","tag-indeterminate","tag-late-blight-resistant","tag-sausage-tomato","tag-sun-dried-tomatoes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675","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=4675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4676,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675\/revisions\/4676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}