Sustainable living | Creation care | Environmental education | Tomatoes

 

Beefsteak Varieties for 2016

 

1884   (78 days) A great old-time favourite said to have been discovered by James Lyde Williamson near Friendly, W. Virginia in the flood debris from the Ohio Rover in 1884. Seed from this heirloom produce vigorous, regular leaf tomato plants that yield 1-2 lb. dark pink, flavourful fruit. A good choice when you want a relatively early maturing full size tomato. Indeterminate.

 

Abe Lincoln   (87 days) This American heirloom produces good yields of large, meaty dark red tomatoes. A multipurpose tomato that resists cracking.

 

Aker’s West Virginia   (85 days) A fast growing favourite with seed savers. The reason- wonderful old time flavour that is bold and intense. Attractive flattish 10-20 oz. beefsteaks are deep red and are a real joy to eat. Plants are also productive, very hardy with great disease resistance.

 

Alleghany Sunset (78 days)  An excellent flavoured 12-16 oz yellow/red streaked tomato with a uniform round shape. Very meaty, heavy with only a few seeds. Indeterminate.

 

Amana Orange  (90 days)A very large heirloom beefsteak tomato from the Amana Colonies in Iowa. Regular leaf plants produce an abundance of light-orange fluted  tomatoes that can reach 2 pounds or more. Some describe their flavour as “tropical, fruity.” A very popular tomato. Indeterminate.

 

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.

 

Basinga   (80 days) Long before “The Big Bang Theory” TV show became popular, this heirloom variety was well known – producing medium to large yields of very large, 4 inch pale lemon-yellow globes with a luscious sweet, mild taste. Good for slicing or sauces. Indeterminate.

 

Bear Claw (85 days) Extremely large pink beefsteak tomatoes with good flavour—perfect for a great tomato sandwich. 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.

 

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.

 

 

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. Ind.

 

Brandywine, Pink (Sudduth strain)  (90 days) Considered the original Brandywine tomato. Similar to the red version except this one has the characteristic potato-leafed foliage. Same great taste for this large pink fruit. 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.

 

Dr Wyche’s Yellow  (80 days) A growing favourite with die hard heirloom afficionados. Beefsteak size tomatoes are yellow turning to gold at maturity with a rich complex taste.  Vigorous plants are long standing and very productive. Indeterminate.

 

Gigantesque (75 days) This rare Russian variety was originally from the Ukraine. The regular-leaf plants produce a heavy yield of 1-2 lb orange-red, beefsteak tomatoes with a meaty flesh with very few seeds and a wonderful robust flavour. Indeterminate.

 

Great White  (85 days) This 1860 American heirloom is one of the largest creamy white with a pale pink blush beefsteak type tomatoes The plants are very productive and the fruit is sweet and juicy. Crack resistant and very hardy.  Indeterminate.

 

Hungarian Giant (85 days) This popular variety produces deep scarlet giant 1-1/2 to 2 lb fruit with a nice strong tomato flavour – the perfect choice for your big fat tomato sandwiches. Indeterminate.

 

 

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.

 

Mariana’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.

 

 

Mr. Stripey (NB: different from Tigerella, listed below!!) Mid-season. Very large (up to 2 lbs) dense, meaty yellow fruit with pinkish red stripes, ridged shoulders and few seeds. Very mild, low acid taste. Some blight resistance. Indeterminate.

 

Nebraska Wedding (90 days) Large orange globe-shaped fruit  with no cracking. Sweet-acid flavour, very meaty. Heavy producer. Legend has it that Nebraskan brides were given this fruit as a gift on their wedding day. Indeterminate.

 

Pineapple (75 days) From Ohio area. Large beefsteak, yellow-orange fruits have a pink stripe running through. Sweet, bright flavour. Indeterminate.

 

Pruden’s Purple  (67 days) This well known heirloom is often compared for flavour to the favourite Pink Brandywine. Large potato leaf vines produce lots of 1 lb slightly flattened, blemish free medium pink fruit with few seeds and excellent flavour. Resists cracking. 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.

 

Sicilian Saucer (75 days)  Huge heavy red tomato, up to 2 pounds, slightly flattened shape. Thick, juicy, meaty flesh. One slice is all you need for your sandwich. A well-behaved plant that does not require staking. We have won the “largest tomato” prize at the fair with this tomato. Determinate.

 

Tangerine (80-85 days) Delicious orange tomato, large, with a sweet and intense flavour. Resistant to cracking; a favourite in our garden. Indeterminate.