Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Primrose. I tried Black Russian a few years ago and I liked them alot. They are very impressive to look at too! I can't remember if they are F1 but I'm certain I have seen them on offer in a seed catalogue..though which one I couldn't say. (fat lot of help I am!!!) I know I liked them. Cheers.

A couple of years back we bought a couple of black russian tomatoes plants from a car boot sale, at least that is what the seller said they were. Anyway, we didn,t like them as they were a very soft tomatoe and we prefer firm ones. But it could be the way we grew them. The seller said they were a nice tomatoe.

I'm not sure if Black Russian is the same as Black Krim, but the black Krim are not F1s and I've been saving seed from them for a few years now.

They have a nice rich smokey flavour when cooked and are delicious grilled on toast with cheese.

Regarding flavour, most tomatoes have a better flavour in warm sunny summers, so some may have been disappointing last year and the year before, but hopefully if the predictions are correct we can look forward to a flavourful summer this year. Home grown still taste much better than supermarket ones anyway choose what the weather.

Black Russian is almost as good as Black Krim, juicy and tasty, but the tomatoes are not quite so big. It is open-polinated, so you can save seeds.

Elsa - that's encouraging. Thanks. they are obviously two different varieties. If I like the end product I'll definitely save the seed. And Plum Pudding, I definitely agree with you about the best flavoured tomatoes being grown in warm summers. Even an ordinary Moneymaker tastes delicious when picked and eaten, still warm with sunshine, straight from the plant. One of my favourite summer pleasures is when the tomatoes are cropping sufficiently prolifically to make a delicious tomato salad when they're still warm off the plant. Almost a meal in itself!

Plumpudding, how did you get on with Costoluto Fiorentino? They have been a bit slow here but well pleased with texture and flavour if shape a little odd.
Picked this Caspian Pink today - thought it was fairer to the plant to finish ripening it in the kitchen.

Geoff - that looks like the product of a Maternity Ward I'm sure you did the right thing. The plant probably groaned with relief to be rid of it and judging by the size of it, will now undoubtedly die of exhaustion.
My Black Russians are all ripening now. Despite being a beefsteak type variety, about 25% of the area on each fruit is made up of that greenish/'black shading, and scarred or cracked which means it looks very unsightly when cut and used in a salad, and as only one fruit in each truss seems to have set, it's not been very prolific and I don't think I'll grow it again.

Hi Geoff,

Wow

But how will you eat it? Are there more fruits on the plant of that size?

Hi All, Glad the tomatoes are ripening now. Mine were coming along well and then for a couple of weeks very few ripened, but the sunshine has got them all going again and I can't keep up with them.

The Costoluto Fiorentino have a lovely flavour and like your photo are huge. There are quite a few on each plant too. The Principe Bhorgese are very productive, but don't have much flavour.

My other favourites for flavour are Black Krim (which is similar to Black Plum)- smaller and smoother skinned than the Black Russian, Sungella which is like a large Sungold, and Kennilworth King George from the heritage seed library. The latter is a good flavoured, not too sweet, salad size and both plants have 15 trusses of about 8 fruits. I've let them just keep growing as they are at the high end of the greenhouse and they are amazing. And one of my favourites for cooking is Cornu des Andes. It has a good rich flavour, is long and pointed, and has very few seeds. And finally, (I nearly forgot) Cherokee Green is large, productive and very tasty, but it takes a long time to ripen - when it gets a yellowish tinge.

i tried Costoluto Fiorentino for the first time this year too, very sturdy with lush leaf growth distinctive irregular shape and the fruits are large and plentiful already though still quite dark green, I'm very pleased with them so far.

NB I hope you enjoy them when they ripen, they are an excellent variety. I'll be growing them for a few years yet as I got them from Seeds of Italy in one of their silly big packets.

Thank you Geoff, my back garden is south facing and sheltered, everything tends to ripen rapidly together, but I ran out of space, so I put them in the front garden, north facing, it helps to extend the growing season as they are slower, but next year I will give them the best spot as they look worth it.
my grapes are ripening already, should have loads of delicious dessert grapes to munch on soon.
BTW Have you tried the italian cucumbers too, they have done very well fior me this year

No, I am growing Passandra and Melen but need some seed next year so please report back.