Beefsteak Varieties for 2023
Andrew Rahart’s Jumbo Red (80 days) This beefsteak has exceptional taste and aroma; a great slicer that is very dense and meaty. Andrew Rahart lived North of New York city and collected seeds from the local immigrants. This one is a mainstay. Indeterminate.
Aunt Ruby’s German Green (80 days) Reportedly from Ruby Arnold of Greenville, Tennessee. Beefsteak sized fruits are five inches in diameter and weigh one pound or more. Sweet juicy, refreshingly spicy flavour. A southern favourite for making fried green tomatoes. Indeterminate.
Beefsteak (90 days) A very old standard variety. Fruits are large, meaty, ribbed and deep scarlet . Weights average 12 oz. Fairly soft skinned for easy slicing. Indeterminate.
Believe it or Not (85 days) Huge bright red, fantastic flavoured tomato with sweet, juicy, meaty flesh. Perfect for sandwiches and making juice. Indeterminate.
Big Rainbow (80-85 days) A spectacular large bicolour beefsteak with slight ribbing. This heirloom has a mottled orange and red exterior with brilliant coloured gold and red flesh. This low acid, firm meaty tomato packs a good old-fashioned, juicy tomato taste. Big Rainbow has vigorous vines and good disease resistance. Indeterminate.
* NEW * Black Giant (70-80 days ) Big, purple-black fruit are a favourite of seed collectors who rave about its fantastic flavour – the perfect blend of acid and sugars makes it really stand out. The globe fruits weigh 6–14 oz and are borne on highly productive vines.
Black Pineapple (aka Ananas Noire) (80 days) Ever wonder what the northern lights taste like? This tomato will let you know. Sweet, fruity, rich, smoky-it’s complex flavour reflects the spectrum of deep red-purple, green, yellow and pinkish red that you see. This is a large multi-coloured beefsteak with wonderful taste. Indeterminate.
Brandywine, Red (Landis valley strain)(80 days) One of the most famous heirlooms (1885, Amish), the winner of many taste tests with bright tangy flavour. Large beefsteak type, up to 1 lb., ideal for slices, salads and sandwiches. Not a heavy producer. Long vines. Indeterminate.
Cherokee Purple (80 days) An old Cherokee heirloom, pre-1890 variety; beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink colour, superb sweet flavour with a hint of smoke. A very-large-sized fruit. Indeterminate.
Chocolate Stripes (80 days) A consistent taste-test winner, large tomato plants yield a plentiful crop of 3-4 inch, mahogany colored with dark, olive green-striping (similar to black zebra). Fruits have delicious, complex, rich, sweet, earthy tomato flavors. Produces well into the autumn. A great sandwich tomato and salad tomato. Indeterminate.
*SOLD OUT* Giant Red Oxheart (90 days) Kentucky heirloom. "Amazing, delicious and beautiful." HUGE, 1-2 lbs., red, oxheart tomatoes with full, flavors. Indeterminate.
Grightmire’s Pride (65 days) A large, early, meaty, low seed, low acid fruit with good taste. Indeterminate.
*SOLD OUT* Kellogg’s Breakfast (70-80 days) Very large, oblate shaped orange fruit that are both meaty and juicy. Wonderful flavour; our earliest orange tomato. Indeterminate.
Marianna’s Peace (75 days) Large pink heirloom with Czechoslovakian origin.Tomatoes are oddly shaped and incredibly tasty. Does well in drought conditions in our garden. Indeterminate.
Mortgage Lifter (71 days) Large (1-2 lbs), meaty and vigorous red beefsteak. Original ‘Radiator Charlie’ strain. Legendary tomato developed in the 1930s by M. C. Byles of Logan, West Virginia. It is said that he sold his remarkable plants for $1.00 each and paid off his mortgage in six years. The fruits are very large, pink, over a pound each and one of the best beefsteak flavours available. A good slicer with few seeds. Plants are highly productive and disease resistant. Indeterminate.
Rose (80 days) Strong leafy plants bear beautiful large meaty beefsteak tomatoes that are smooth and incredibly tasty (some say they rival Brandywine for taste). Showed strong blight resistance in our garden this last year. Long yielding this tomato is great in salads and for canning and sauces. Indeterminate.
Tangerine (80-85 days) Delicious orange tomato, large, with a sweet and intense flavour. Resistant to cracking; a favourite in our garden. Indeterminate.
*NEW* Tasmanian Chocolate (85 days) Loads of delicious beefsteak type tomatoes on sturdy compact plants. Large, dark mahogany- red fruits have satisfying, rich flavor and a perfect sweet/tart balance. Thick slices are perfect for summertime tomato sandwiches. Plants top out at 1-1.5m and are happy in a five gallon container or in a garden bed. Small cages or stakes lend a little support to these sturdy plants. Dwarf Indeterminate.