Type

Beefsteak tomatoes

Beefsteaks are the big slicers, broad and often ribbed, with rich flavor and a sandwich-sized cut. They reward a long season and steady feeding, and many of the famous heirlooms are beefsteaks.

35 varieties

Cherokee Purple

Cherokee Purpleheirloom · 80 days · MidWidely described as rich, sweet and smoky with a savory depth that makes it a benchmark dark heirloom. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring description, not a measured claim.

Brandywine

Brandywineheirloom · 90 days · LateThe reference point many growers use for full, rich tomato flavor with a balancing acidity. A potato-leaf heirloom prized for taste rather than productivity. Attributed description, not a measured claim.

Black Krim

Black Krimheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed in catalogs and by growers as bold and smoky, with a mingling of sweet and acidic notes and a hint of saltiness, often ranked among the best tasting of the dark tomatoes. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured fact for your garden.

Mortgage Lifterheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed in catalogs and growing guides as mild and sweet, with rich flavor when fully ripe and a meaty texture. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured fact for your garden.

Paul Robeson

Paul Robesonheirloom · 78 days · MidDescribed by seed catalogs as distinctively sweet and smoky with a good balance of acid and sweetness, earning a cult following among seed savers. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured fact for your garden.

Big Beefhybrid · 73 days · MidDescribed in catalogs as full flavored and among the best, meaty not mealy, with a balanced combination of size, taste and earliness. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Chocolate Stripes

Chocolate Stripesheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as complex, sweet and aromatic with a slight acidity and a tangy, earthy note that wins taste tests. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Kellogg's Breakfast

Kellogg's Breakfastheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as sweeter than most beefsteaks while still carrying a deep true tomato taste, juicy and rich. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Aunt Ruby's German Green

Aunt Ruby's German Greenheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as terrific, sweet and spicy with a refreshing, almost fruity intensity balanced by a hint of acidity. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Pineapple

Pineappleheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as fine, mild, sweet and fruity with juicy, meaty flesh. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

German Pinkheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as having a big, sweet-tart flavor with rich, sweet notes and a meaty, nearly seedless texture. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured claim.

Better Boyhybrid · 75 days · MidDescribed in catalogs as classic tomato flavor with a balance of acid and sugar, meaty and well suited to slicing. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Striped German

Striped Germanheirloom · 78 days · MidDescribed in catalogs as complex, fruity, and mild with a smooth, silky texture. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Berkeley Tie-Dye

Berkeley Tie-Dyeopen-pollinated · 75 days · MidDescribed as sweet with a noticeable tanginess and a spiced quality, a flavor catalogs say beat Cherokee Purple in farmers market taste tests. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Cherokee Green

Cherokee Greenopen-pollinated · 80 days · MidDescribed as rich and sweet with acidic notes, close to Cherokee Purple, with some growers finding it distinct and preferring it. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Green Giant

Green Giantheirloom · 87 days · LateDescribed as very sweet and fragrant with fruit aromas, a complex sweet-and-spicy character that growers call rich and well-balanced. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Hillbilly

Hillbillyheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as large, mild, sweet and fruity with low acid and subtle tangy notes. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Great White

Great Whiteheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as mild, sweet and meaty with low acid and a fruity, sometimes tropical character. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Pork Chop

Pork Chopopen-pollinated · 80 days · MidDescribed as intense, sweet tomato flavor with just a hint of citrus. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Dr. Wyche's Yellow

Dr. Wyche's Yellowheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as a rich, sweet, low-acid taste that leans fruity, often called one of the best of the yellow beefsteaks. As with every flavor note here, this is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Anna Russian

Anna Russianheirloom · 75 days · MidDescribed as sweet and complex with a juiciness uncommon for an early oxheart, rich enough for sandwiches. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Caspian Pinkheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as outstanding, sweet yet rich, with some tasters ranking it alongside or above Brandywine. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Marianna's Peaceheirloom · 82 days · LateDescribed as a rich, balanced sweet-acid flavor, judged best tasting in TomatoFest taste trials. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Black From Tula

Black From Tulaheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as rich, smoky, and slightly salty, a full-bodied dark beefsteak among the best of the blacks. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Carbon

Carbonopen-pollinated · 80 days · MidDescribed as exceptionally rich and sweet, one of the darkest tomatoes, a repeated taste-test winner. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Cherokee Chocolate

Cherokee Chocolateopen-pollinated · 80 days · MidDescribed as rich and sweet, very close to Cherokee Purple with a slightly cleaner finish. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Aunt Ginny's Purpleheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as rich and sweet, often compared favorably with Brandywine and a little earlier. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Desterheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as exceptionally rich and sweet, a German potato-leaf pink that rivals the best heirlooms. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Kosovoheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as rich, sweet, and well balanced, a large pink heart prized for flavor. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Persimmon

Persimmonheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as mild, sweet, and fruity with rich, meaty flesh and few seeds. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Lucid Gem

Lucid Gemopen-pollinated · 80 days · MidDescribed as very sweet with fruity undertones, a striking bicolor with good flavor and storage. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Aussieheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as rich, aromatic, and well balanced, a classic old-fashioned beefsteak with sweetness and lively acidity. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Cuostraleeheirloom · 85 days · LateDescribed as intense, deep, and old-fashioned, a rich flavor in a very large fruit. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Black Beauty

Black Beautyopen-pollinated · 75 days · MidDescribed as deeply rich and savory with a smooth, meaty texture, often called one of the most intense dark tomatoes. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Yellow Brandywine

Yellow Brandywineheirloom · 80 days · MidDescribed as exceptionally rich, sweet, and fruity with low acidity, a golden counterpart to the famous pink Brandywine. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.