Much like their name implies , the meaty and juicy grain of beefsteak Lycopersicon esculentum has given them quite the report amongst gardeners .
These extra expectant delicious Lycopersicon esculentum are highly coveted in any kitchen . There is nothing quite like a perfectly sliced beefsteak tomato on a sandwich or burger .
Beefsteak tomatoes are among the largest and most diverse of all tomato types . But you may be surprised that “ beefsteak ” is just a class of tomatoes that admit wads and dozens of unparalleled cultivars bred for specific feeling , colour , clime , and operation in the garden .
These vine - mature beauties come in a rainbow array of colors , from red , orange and yellowto pink , unripe , and even dark purplish black .
They can be heirloom , open - cross-pollinate assortment , or loanblend . Some beefsteak are multiply for nimble adulthood in cold mood or resiliency to heat in warm climate .
good of all , the top beefsteak love apple salmagundi grant in enceinte copiousness to even the most novice gardener .
If you ’ve been dying to turn beefsteak Lycopersicon esculentum flora in your garden , you may be overwhelm by the amount of seeds to prefer from . In this leaning , we ’ve pin down down the most pop and well - perform beefsteak cultivars for home gardener . You may be surprised how diverse and vigorous these Lycopersicon esculentum vine can be .
History of Beefsteak Tomatoes
Beefsteak tomato can be mammoth - sized and so rich in flavor that all other tomatoes pale in comparison .
These delicious slicers look like a far fetched first cousin of their wild ancestors , however recent studies have traced the origins of beefsteak tomatoes back to conquistador Hernan Cortez , who brought giant tomatoes to Europe from Mexico in the former 16th century .
But he was n’t the one who found them , of course ; Cortez only accumulate seeds from the brilliant Aztec Farmer who had cultivated the meaty tomatoes for many generations .
While some may think these one lb “ freak of nature ” fruits amount from some kind of genetic modification , they were actually bred completely course thanks to a series of selections hundreds of age ago .
The original natural mutation is hypothesise to have make out from a rarified proliferation of stem mobile phone in a love apple plant ’s growing hint . This led to staggeringly sized tomatoes that seed savers collected for generations .
Open Pollinated vs. Hybrid Seeds
Solanum lycopersicum ‘ Beefsteak ’ is the Romance name for the beefsteak group of tomatoes . But as we mentioned above , there are piles and scads of ejaculate types that fit under this category .
Beefsteak seeds can be either open - pollinated or hybridized . The conflict between these two eccentric of tomatoes is related to how they were bred and whether or not you may save “ on-key to type ” come .
Open pollinated ( OP ) beefsteak tomatoes include heirlooms like ‘ Cherokee Purple ’ , ‘ Brandywine ’ , and ‘ Striped German ’ . These types of seed have been die down through generations and if you economize the germ to replant next season , they will grow a plant very like to the mother plant life .
Hybrid sort are relatively fresh , though they ’ve been cultivated for many decades .
An F1 hybrid beefsteak like ‘ Captain Lucky ’ or ‘ Big Beef Plus ’ is make from intersect two unlike lines of tomatoes to create a desire offspring . This is by no means genetic modification .
Hybridization is a lifelike physical process that simply allows plant breeders to breed for specific traits like disease resistance or size more well than they can with OP seed . intercrossed varieties also tend to be more vigorous than OP Lycopersicon esculentum .
Lastly , if you lay aside seeds from a hybrid tomato , they will not found “ true to type ” the undermentioned season .
This is why seminal fluid saver tend to favor exposed pollenate varieties , whereas commercial-grade agriculturist often prefer for more vigorous hybrid variety show . Either elbow room , you ’ll likely end up with a delicious beefsteak tomato !
What is a Beefsteak Tomato?
Beefsteak tomatoes begin their name for their spare large size and meaty texture . They have a Hellenic tomato plant flavor that is sometimes sweeter than average .
Thanks to their large round sizing and perfect slicing , these tomatoes lean to be the best for sandwich and burgers , whereas smaller heirlooms and cherry red Lycopersicon esculentum are typically used for salad or salsas .
The largest beefsteak tomatoes can be up to 6 ” in diameter and weigh around a Irish pound . They have many small seed compartments inside the fruit and sometimes include the pronounced roast patterns that stemmed from ancient pre - Columbian tomato cultivars in North America .
Most variety of beefsteak tomato grow on large vigorous plants that are at least 6 feet tall and take 70 - 85 day to bring forth yield .
How to Grow the Best Beefsteak Tomatoes
Like all tomatoes , beefsteak varieties really love plenty of warmth , sunlight , and birth rate . The beefiest , most delicious beefsteak tomatoes come from glad , healthy plant that were grown in quality soil .
If you require to have the unspoiled fade tomatoes in the neighborhood , keep up these simple tips :
1. Begin with quality seedling starts
Beefsteak tomatoes do good from a head start in most moderate mood . depart seeds indoors 6 - 7 weeks before the last frost will avail see that plant get the maximum amount of outdoor growth prison term to yield loads of meaty tomatoes .
Whether you get your starts from a local nursery or produce them yourself , be sure that they are full-bodied , well - root , and not too “ leggy ” from reaching for the sunshine .
choice seedlings will have vibrant unripe parting , a duncish unassailable central root , and ascendant that are well - established by not rootbound in the container .
2. Prepare rich, well-drained garden soil
Beefsteak love apple works flourish in fertile loamy grease that has plenty of aeration and organic matter . apply a dig fork or broadfork to tease the grime in your garden bed and amend with a couple in thick of high quality compost .
This will facilitate keep your beefsteak tomatoes well - drained and well - fed all summer long .
3. Provide plenty of fertility
As you could reckon , growing a bunch of giant 1 - pound tomato require a lot of plant food .
Beefsteak tomatoes are large affluent that opt hatful of amend with an all - determination constitutive fertiliser like Down to Earth mealy fertilizer or Neptune ’s Harvest Tomato & Veg formula .
The latter is especially good if diluted to ⅛ cup per gallon of water supply and pour on the root zona every 1 - 2 weeks throughout the growing season .
These fertilizers increase the take of tomato and the vigor of the plants themselves . A hungry beefsteak tomato plant will have a hard time ripening the big toothsome fruit you ’re hoping for .
4. Use proper spacing
Just like humans , Lycopersicon esculentum do n’t like to be crowded and smooshed together . Proper spacingwill check that your beefsteak love apple plants can develop to their full aura and produce plenty of fruits .
Most cultivars require at least 2 - 4 square pes of space , so plan your garden quad accordingly . Beefsteak tomatoes that are planted too close together will have lower fruit and may succumb to diseases .
5. Choose a beefsteak variety suited for your climate
Before you dig in , it ’s important to make your seed selections with an optic for adaptability to your specific clime .
Gardeners with shorter growing season will probably prefer a tight - maturing beefsteak tomato variety .
Gardeners in supererogatory moist or humid climate may need adisease - resistantbeefsteak .
And any chef or tomato connoisseurs may favour the tastiest , most unparalleled beefsteak varieties around . We find the top 21 good cultivars that can suit each of these scenarios and more .
Top 21 Best Beefsteak Tomato Varieties to Grow in Your Garden
1:‘Super Beefsteak’
Burpee Seeds call this one “ better than beefsteak ” because of its sapid heart and soul fruits with smooth shoulder and small blossom closing scars .
Prolific indeterminate ( vining ) plant take 80 days to mature and yield unvarying fruit that average about 17 ounces .
These plants need plenty of space and a trellis or tomato plant cage to support their growth .
2:‘Cherokee Purple’
This unusual purplish - red and dusky pink beefsteak heirloom is known for its well - rounded flavor and gorgeous colour .
The rich predilection and texture have earned this tomato a great reputation amongst heirloom partizan .
The intermediate - big fruits are a flattened - ball-shaped flesh and medium between 8 and 12 ozs . The vine are short than other indeterminates and can be trim to produce well in more compact gardens .
3:‘Cherokee Carbon’
This swart regal tomato plant is standardised to ‘ Cherokee Purple ’ but hybridized for resiliency and crack resistance . Plants are tall and very fecund , often bring on fruits all the way until the first icing of fall . The gorgeous colors and delicious flavor create for the greatest tomato sandwich you ’ve ever savor .
4:‘Madame Marmande’
If you ’re looking for a bon vivant juicy French beefsteak , this is the mixture for you ! These fruit are broad - shoulder and respectable , average 10 oz and rich with flavor .
The pelt is normally a deep scarlet red and wo n’t crack like like smorgasbord . It is fairly quick to mature and usually transplant outside the first hebdomad of May in balmy mood .
5:‘Pink Brandywine’
This vibrant pink heirloom slicer is as tasty as it is beautiful . The unique blush pinkish skin and robust meaty grain make this the pure beefsteak for gorgeous open - face sandwich and salads .
A utter fall change , the fruits average about 1 lb and prefer the cooler weather of September to in conclusion mature .
6:‘Big Beef Plus’
‘ Big Beef ’ is highly regard amongst commercial-grade farmers because it is widely adaptable and highly high - yielding .
This ‘ Plus ’ cultivar takes that all to the next level with more sweetness , lend resistance to tomato mosaic virus , and an extra rich red - red interior .
7:‘Captain Lucky’
If you prefer a more unequaled beefsteak variety , this Ne green tomato with a psychedelic colored Department of the Interior will wow any dinner party guests .
When ripe , the yield are green and red on the exterior with a yellowish - pea green Interior Department that is blotch with vivid pink and red .
‘ Captain Lucky ’ is a vigorous crossbreed bred in North Carolina and matures quickly enough for most climates in the U.S. It has an unfastened - substance abuse and is well grow with a love apple John Cage in your garden .
8:‘Black Krim’
With benighted maroon shape and wonderfully rich flavor , this heirloom is another showstopper in any garden .
The assortment originated on a peninsula of the Black Sea with thoroughgoing Mediterranean “ tomato summers ” . However , it will gladly tolerate a bit more estrus or chill as long as it stays above a cozy 55 ° atomic number 9 .
9:‘Damsel’
This stunning pink beefsteak tomato has all the flavor and coloring material of an heirloom with the late blight ohmic resistance of a cross . It was bred by EarthWork seeds and when trialed in Massachusetts , farmers reported that they could n’t keep up with chef ’ demand for this unbelievable Lycopersicon esculentum !
Even in its peak pinkish ripeness , it holds for several days on your counter and ca-ca a great garden endowment .
The yields are fertile and the vines are fairly vigorous . But if this tomato plant gets stressed , the fruits are prostrate to crack .
10:‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green’
Another green beefsteak slicer , these large 12 - 16 oz fruit have the flavor of a Brandywine with a basswood - green cutis and bright yellow figure with an amber tinge .
Beautiful on salad and burger or in salsa verde , this heirloom is also desired for its superb taste that is dead sweet and tart .
11:‘Big Beefsteak’
One of the few determinate ( President Bush - case ) beefsteak tomato , this classic heirloom is a more achievable size for humble home gardens .
The deeply red , rich fruit that are up to 2 lb in weight accommodate all the Hellenic beefsteak qualities . They suppurate all at the same time for the stark family cookout or canning weekend .
12:‘Grand Marshall’
One of the good selections for southern climate , ‘ Grand Marshall ’ readily sets fruit even in the hot summers . This beefsteak hybrid produces huge yields of big 10 - 14 oz fruits with an oblate bod .
It is resistant to both verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt . Best of all , it is also determinate , so less pruning and trellis study are expect .
13:‘Porterhouse’
Burpee claims this is the greatest extra - large beefsteak they ’ve ever bred . I ’d have to agree ! These tomatoes are a banging 2 to 4 lb and bursting with tone !
They ’re deep cerise and luscious all the elbow room through , with a solid meaty texture that is utterly red-hot ( but not too juicy ) for burgers and sandwich . This is like a classic old - fashioned beefsteak with superfluous heartiness .
14:‘Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato’
Have you ever heard of a vibrant orange beefsteak ? Well , look no further . This rare heirloom spring up in West Virginia and has a superbly scented flavor .
Both the peel and flesh are a brilliant beautiful orangeness , averaging 1 - 2 pound . Very few seed . The germination rate is first-class and the works are first-rate prolific .
15:‘Tasmanian Chocolate’
Though it does n’t taste like umber , this cocoa - red slicer has an copiousness of flavor . The plant life are small and thick for gardener’sw without much place .
They also grow bully on patios or in container with a stock tomato John Cage . The yield are humble than most beefsteak but so yummy that it ’s deserving cut into a few supernumerary .
16:‘Classic Beefsteak’
Baker Creek Seeds is know for their rare older - clip mixed bag and this ‘ Classic Beefsteak ’ is no different . The massive fruit reach 1 - 2 lbs and maintain a house , meaty texture with bass red color .
They have the old - fashioned Lycopersicon esculentum nip that you crave on sandwich , burgers , or slice directly up with some table salt ! This smorgasbord is specifically adapt to the Northeast and like climates .
17:‘Large Barred Boar’
A flatten out beefsteak kind that grows on stout plants , this striped heirloom produces yield mottle with pink , dark-brown , and metal green . The pink meaty flesh is super delicious and stunning in any dish .
18:‘German Johnson’
If you love that classical flattened pumpkin - shaped brandywine , ‘ German Johnson ’ wo n’t disappoint . It is more vigorous and high yielding than its OP brandywine - first cousin .
The high-pitched productiveness , acidulous love apple flavor , and creamy deep texture make this one extra unique . It produces originally and is extra prolific .
19:‘Margold’
If you prefer bright sunshiny beefsteaks over the evidently - honest-to-goodness red ink , ‘ Margold ’ is a stunner in terms of esthetics and flavor . This red - streak yellow hybrid has capital disease resistance and proceeds . The bod is soft and the look is sweetened than ‘ stripy German ’ .
Keep in mind that this variety call for at least 13 hours of daylight and may not do as well in northern climates . It is , however , highly resistant to leaf mold , tomato mosaic virus , and verticillium wilting .
20:‘Beefmaster’
As one of the most popular hybrid tomato plant , ‘ Beefmaster ’ has earned a repute for its extra large fruits and hybrid vigor .
The tomato plant is exceptionally high in Vitamins A and C , and has excellent flavor and grain for all slicing uses . These vining plant are disease resistant and pelleted for ease of sowing .
21:‘Astrakhanskie’
This tomato is a slew well-fixed to eat than it is to enounce . This gargantuan beefsteak is native to Russia and has a beautiful flattened oblate soma with tantalization and vivacious red hide .
The flavor is actually best when it is more or less under right .
The vines are tall and floppy , so they involve a dependable treillage . This cultivar is very productive for an heirloom and one of the go - to varieties for Russian chef .
Beefsteak tomatoes are truly the Hellenic All - American tomato . No matter which variety you choose , their monolithic sizing and exquisite flavor will complement every sandwich or burger you have all summertime long .
Do n’t block to preserve some with freezing or canning ! You may get yourself starve these ruby - red or rainbow - colored fruits in the dead of winter .
Beefsteak tomato are among the most rewarding and delicious love apple for any garden .
well-chosen growth !
Written By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She hold a master copy ’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an constitutional farm , water preservation enquiry , Fannie Merritt Farmer ’ marketplace , and plant nursery , she understand what makes plant thrive and how we can better empathise the connection between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the res publica , Amber loves inform the great unwashed of new ideas / thing refer to gardening , especially organic gardening , houseplant , and develop plants in a little space .
