Beefsteak tomato varieties

Beefsteak is a size class, not a botanical group. What unites the 29 beefsteak varieties in this catalogue is a fruit heavy enough to cover a slice of bread in one cut, and a plant built to carry it. The range is wider than the name suggests: from 6 oz (170 g) to 32 oz (900 g), a fivefold spread between the smallest and the largest. Ripening runs from 72 to 90 days after transplant, which in a short season is the difference between a full harvest and a frost race. Twenty-seven of the twenty-nine are indeterminate, meaning they keep growing and setting fruit until cold stops them, and every one of those needs staking. If you want a beefsteak without a trellis, this catalogue holds exactly two dwarf options. The table below sorts all of them by days, weight and habit, so the trade-off between size and season length is visible before you buy seed.

Varieties
37
Days to harvest (from transplant)
72–90
Fruit weight
6–32 oz (170–900 g)
Growth habit

35 Indeterminate

2 Dwarf

Compare all 37 side by side

All 37 beefsteak tomato varieties

Abe Lincoln tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Abe Lincoln A 1923 Midwestern market classic: smooth, solid red fruit and plain old-fashioned flavour. 80 days (estimated) 6–12 oz (170–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Ananas Noire tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Ananas Noire Large beefsteak marbled in green, yellow, red and purple tones. 85 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Aunt Ruby's German Green tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Aunt Ruby's German Green The largest green-when-ripe beefsteak, and the usual argument that green beats red. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Better Boy tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Better Boy High-yielding red hybrid beefsteak with broad disease resistance. 72 days12–16 oz (340–450 g)Indeterminate
Big Beef tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Big Beef Widely grown red beefsteak slicer, large fruit, indeterminate vine. 73 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Big Boy tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Big Boy The 1949 hybrid that made F1 tomatoes mainstream: big, round, red, dependable. 78 days (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Big Rainbow tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Big Rainbow One of the largest bicolours: red streaking rising into yellow flesh. 85 days (estimated) 16–26 oz (450–740 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Black Krim tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Black Krim Dark Crimean heirloom with a savoury, almost saline depth behind the sweetness. 80 days (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Brandywine tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Brandywine The heirloom benchmark: huge pink potato-leaf beefsteak with dense, sweet flesh. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Carbon tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Carbon Black beefsteak slicer with large, flattened fruit. 80 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Cherokee Green tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Cherokee Green Green-when-ripe member of the Cherokee family: full depth with a sharper edge. 80 days (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Cherokee Purple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Cherokee Purple Dusky purple-red heirloom beefsteak, prized for its rich, smoky-sweet flavor. 80 days (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Dr Wyche's Yellow tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Dr Wyche's Yellow Large golden beefsteak, unusually productive, with a circus elephant in its history. 80 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
German Pink tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover German Pink Pink potato-leaf beefsteak, large meaty slicing fruit. 85 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Gold Medal tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Gold Medal Ohio heirloom bicolor beefsteak, large red-and-yellow fruit. 85 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Goliath tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Goliath Pink heirloom beefsteak with large slicing fruit. 80 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Great White tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Great White Large ivory beefsteak with almost no acidity and a melon-like quality. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Green Giant tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Green Giant Large green-when-ripe beefsteak with unusually dense flesh. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Kellogg's Breakfast tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Kellogg's Breakfast Large orange beefsteak whose juice comes out the colour of breakfast juice. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Marianna's Peace tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Marianna's Peace Czech potato-leaf pink beefsteak that rivals Brandywine in blind tastings. 85 days (estimated) 16–32 oz (450–900 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Mortgage Lifter tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Mortgage Lifter Enormous mild pink beefsteak with one of the best origin stories in gardening. 85 days (estimated) 16–32 oz (450–900 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Mr Stripey tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Mr Stripey Large low-acid bicolour beefsteak, and one of the most name-confused tomatoes sold. 80 days (estimated) 12–30 oz (340–850 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Mushroom Basket tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Mushroom Basket Deeply pleated Russian heirloom in watermelon-pink, firm-fleshed and nearly seedless. 75 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
New Big Dwarf tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover New Big Dwarf From 1915: the original attempt at beefsteak fruit on a plant that fits a pot. 75 days (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Dwarf
Old German tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Old German Bicolor beefsteak heirloom, large red-and-yellow fruit. 85 days10–16 oz (280–450 g)Indeterminate
Paul Robeson tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Paul Robeson Russian dark heirloom that wins blind tastings: smoky, earthy, almost wine-like. 80 days (estimated) 7–12 oz (200–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Pineapple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Pineapple Huge bicolour beefsteak with marbled yellow-and-red flesh and very low acidity. 85 days (estimated) 12–24 oz (340–680 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Pruden's Purple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Pruden's Purple Brandywine flavour on a two-week shorter season, with the same potato-leaf foliage. 72 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Purple Calabash tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Purple Calabash Heavily pleated dusky purple heirloom with a high-acid, genuinely divisive flavour. 85 days (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Rosella Purple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Rosella Purple Dwarf Tomato Project release: heirloom smoky depth on a three-foot plant. 80 days (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Dwarf
Sart Roloise tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Sart Roloise Belgian beefsteak with indigo-brushed shoulders and a sweet, tropical, fruity flavour. 88 days10–20 oz (285–570 g)Indeterminate
Striped German tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Striped German Heavily ribbed bicolour beefsteak that marbles differently in every fruit. 85 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Stump of the World tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Stump of the World Large irregular pink potato-leaf beefsteak from Ben Quisenberry's collection, sweet with a small core. 85 days10–24 oz (280–680 g)Indeterminate
White Beauty tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover White Beauty Older ivory heirloom beefsteak: very low acid, dense and almost creamy. 85 days (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
White Queen tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover White Queen Pale ivory beefsteak in the low-acid white group, grown mainly by collectors. 85 days (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Yellow Brandywine tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Yellow Brandywine Golden potato-leaf beefsteak: denser than pink Brandywine, and even later. 90 days (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate
Zapotec Pleated tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Zapotec Pleated Oaxacan accordion-pleated heirloom, hollow inside and genuinely built for stuffing. 85 days (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Indeterminate

How to choose

  1. Start with your season, not with the fruit. The 18-day spread between the earliest beefsteak here (72 days) and the latest (90 days) is the single most consequential number on this page. Days are counted from transplant, not from sowing, so add six to eight weeks of indoor start time to get the real calendar. In zones with a frost window under 120 days, a 90-day beefsteak is a gamble that ripens on the windowsill.

  2. Then decide how much plant you are willing to support. Indeterminate beefsteaks routinely pass two metres and carry fruit that a flimsy cage will drop. That is not a defect, it is the growth habit doing what it does, and it is why 27 of the 29 entries here assume a stake, a string or a heavy cage. The two dwarf varieties, New Big Dwarf and Rosella Purple, are the exception: they carry 8 to 12 oz fruit on a plant that stays manageable, which makes them the only realistic beefsteaks for a large container or a small plot.

  3. Weight is where expectations most often miss. A 6 oz beefsteak and a 32 oz beefsteak are different vegetables in the kitchen and different problems in the garden. The largest fruit in this group needs more water, sets fewer tomatoes per plant, and is more prone to splitting after heavy rain, because the skin cannot keep up with a sudden uptake. If you are growing to slice for sandwiches, the 10 to 16 oz band is the practical sweet spot; the 32 oz varieties are for people who want the one enormous tomato and accept the cost.

  4. Colour is the last decision, not the first, because it correlates with almost nothing else here. This group covers pink, red, black, purple, green, yellow, white and bicolour across nearly the same weight and day ranges. Pick the season and the habit first, filter to what still fits, and choose colour from what is left.

Compare side by side

Color Uses
Abe Lincoln 80 (estimated) 6–12 oz (170–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Slicing, Canning, Sauce & paste
Ananas Noire 85 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate (estimated) 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Aunt Ruby's German Green 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Better Boy 72 12–16 oz (340–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Slicing, Fresh & salads
Big Beef 73 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Big Boy 78 (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Slicing, Fresh & salads
Big Rainbow 85 (estimated) 16–26 oz (450–740 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Black Krim 80 (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Slicing, Fresh & salads
Brandywine 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Carbon 80 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Cherokee Green 80 (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Cherokee Purple 80 (estimated) 10–16 oz (280–450 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Slicing, Fresh & salads, Snacking
Dr Wyche's Yellow 80 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
German Pink 85 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Gold Medal 85 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Goliath 80 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Great White 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 1 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Green Giant 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Kellogg's Breakfast 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Marianna's Peace 85 (estimated) 16–32 oz (450–900 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Mortgage Lifter 85 (estimated) 16–32 oz (450–900 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Mr Stripey 80 (estimated) 12–30 oz (340–850 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 5 (estimated) / 1 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Mushroom Basket 75 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing, Stuffing
New Big Dwarf 75 (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Dwarf 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Old German 85 10–16 oz (280–450 g) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Paul Robeson 80 (estimated) 7–12 oz (200–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Pineapple 85 (estimated) 12–24 oz (340–680 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 5 (estimated) / 1 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Pruden's Purple 72 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Purple Calabash 85 (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Rosella Purple 80 (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Dwarf 4 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 5 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing
Sart Roloise 88 10–20 oz (285–570 g) Indeterminate 5 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Striped German 85 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Stump of the World 85 10–24 oz (280–680 g) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Slicing, Fresh & salads
White Beauty 85 (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 1 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
White Queen 85 (estimated) 8–12 oz (230–340 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 1 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Yellow Brandywine 90 (estimated) 12–20 oz (340–570 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 4 (estimated) / 2 (estimated) / 4 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Juicing
Zapotec Pleated 85 (estimated) 6–10 oz (170–280 g) (estimated) Indeterminate 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) / 3 (estimated) Fresh & salads, Slicing, Stuffing

Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.

Frequently asked questions

What actually makes a tomato a beefsteak?

Size and structure, not lineage. A beefsteak is a large, meaty, many-chambered fruit, typically flattened rather than round, usually over 6 oz. There is no official cut-off, which is why catalogues disagree at the margins. We classify by fruit weight and shape recorded per variety, and you can see the exact figures in the table rather than taking the label on trust.

Are beefsteak tomatoes determinate or indeterminate?

Almost always indeterminate. In this catalogue 27 of 29 beefsteaks are indeterminate and 2 are dwarf. None are determinate. That is not a coincidence: large fruit needs a long ripening period and continuous leaf growth to feed it, which is what indeterminate growth provides.

How long do beefsteak tomatoes take?

Between 72 and 90 days from transplant across the varieties here, with most sitting between 80 and 85. Every day figure in this catalogue is counted from transplant, never from sowing, because the two conventions differ by up to 20 days and seed catalogues rarely say which they use.

Can beefsteak tomatoes be grown in containers?

Two of the varieties here can: New Big Dwarf and Rosella Purple, both dwarf, both carrying 8 to 12 oz fruit. The other 27 are indeterminate and will outgrow a pot before they finish fruiting. If containers are the constraint rather than a preference, the container-friendly page is a better starting point than this one.

Why do big tomatoes split?

Usually a sudden change in water uptake. The flesh expands faster than the skin can stretch, and the fruit cracks, most often in concentric rings around the shoulders. Large-fruited varieties are more exposed to this simply because there is more flesh to expand. Steady watering matters more here than in any other size class.

Which is the largest beefsteak in this catalogue?

Four varieties reach the 16 to 32 oz (450 to 900 g) band: Big Rainbow, Marianna's Peace, Mortgage Lifter and Pineapple. Sort the table by fruit weight to see the full ordering rather than a single answer.

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