2023 Tomatoes - Beefsteak
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Note: Assume all varieties will be available at both sale locations unless otherwise noted.
Ananas Noire Beefsteak / Multicolor / 16-24 ounces / 80 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Customers love this classic Belgian tomato. This yellow beefsteak with red blush can be 1 to 1½ pounds! Great, sweet, lip-smacking taste with a hint of acidity. (“Black Pineapple" with a distinctive, streaked interior of pink, red, green and yellow. Large and sprawling plant whose fruits have a complex, sweet and rich taste. Makes a great tomato sauce.”) Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek HeirloomSeeds/rareseeds.com | ![]() |
Aunt Ruby’s German Green Beefsteak / Green-yellow / 16 ounces / 78 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. This one from “Aunt Ruby” of Greeneville, Tennessee makes 1 pound lime to yellow-green fruit with a superb fruity, slightly tangy taste. A favorite in Master Gardener tastings! It's a big producer and quite disease-resistant. (“This green beefsteak was the star in my garden this year. It has a deliciously sweet flavor with a complex undertone. Tomatoes have light green skins at maturity with just a hint of yellow. Flesh is green, blushed with pink. A bit difficult to harvest at the perfect moment, this tomato does not keep well off the plant. But, it’s worth the trouble for its truly amazing flavor and beautiful coloring!”) *Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange | ![]() |
Big Beef Plus Beefsteak / Red / 9-12 ounces / 72 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. NEW FOR 2023! An even better Big Beef. One of the best-loved beefsteaks, now with improved flavor, color, and adaptability. Sweeter than the original with a crimson gene that lends a richer red internal color. Very similar in size, shape, and yield to Big Beef - plus high disease resistance! *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com |
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Big Rainbow Beefsteak / Yellow-red / To 24 ounces / 90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Spectacular fruit up to 2 pounds, delicious and sweet tasting. Quite striking when sliced, as the yellow fruit has neon-red streaking through the firm, meaty, low-acid flesh. Good disease resistance. (“A show stopper! This tomato is so lovely sliced, you won’t even want to eat it! Beautiful fruit with small seed cavities, a favorite in my garden every year.”) Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek HeirloomSeeds/rareseeds.com |
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Black Krim Beefsteak / Black-green / 8 ounces / 70-90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Originally from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea. With sufficient sunlight and heat, this Russian beefsteak turns almost black with green shoulders. Very juicy. Considered one of the best “black” tomatoes. (“Finally! A beefsteak that grows in Richmond. Maybe not many, but with a delicious, slightly salty flavor.”) *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com |
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Black Russian Beefsteak / Deep red-black / 10-14 ounces / 80 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Large tomatoes on a compact plant whose color is actually more like highly polished mahogany. Grows well in cooler areas and is even susceptible to sunburn in hot areas. 10-14 ounce fruits with rich, smoky flavor. *Photo courtesy of Restoration Seeds |
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Box Car Willie Beefsteak / Orange-red / 10-16 ounces / 80 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Yields abundant crops of 10-16 ounce bright orange-red tomatoes with a rich, sweet flavor and enough acid to lend a little tanginess. Highly versatile; good choice for canning, sauce, or salads. With good resistance to disease and cracking, its long season makes it a mainstay of your tomato crop. (“A great, old-fashioned beefsteak with that old-timey taste.”) *Photo courtesy of SchoolPhotoProject.com |
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Brandywine Pink—Sudduth's Strain Beefsteak / Pink / 16 ounces / 90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. An Amish heirloom treasure, still considered the world’s greatest tasting tomato! Flattened pink fruits grow to 7 inches in diameter and up to one pound on large vines. (“Excellent flavor and very productive!”) Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange |
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Brandywine Red Beefsteak / Red / 16-24 ounces / 75 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. One of the most popular and best-tasting heirloom tomatoes. Vigorous plants produce large-lobed beefsteaks that are perfect for slicing. Luscious, old-timey red tomato flavor. Long season. (“This plant does not stop! What a beauty, so BLT-delicious and we don't even eat bacon. It’s in all my sandwiches—tomato/egg, tomato/cucumber, tomato/bean spread. The look, the smell, the taste—it just keeps saying that this is the one!”) Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Buffalo Steak Beefsteak / Deep red / 6-7 ounce / 75 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. Lovely fruits that are meaty and have tangy tomato taste. A highly disease resistant hybrid with a prolonged harvest which is perfect for home gardens. Tomatoes all summer long! Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Bush Champion II Beefsteak / Red / 8-12 ounces / 65 days / Hybrid / Determinate. This special variety was developed to honor the 100th year anniversary of the Ball Seed Company and is one of the best tomatoes for small spaces and containers. Compact, 24 inch plants produce plenty of big, meaty fruits that weigh up to 8-12 ounces. Small space / Container friendly. |
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Carbon Beefsteak / Deep red-green / 10-14 ounces / 90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. These deep red-purple tomatoes with dark-olive shoulders are worth waiting for because their complex, rich taste has won many taste awards. Plants yield prolific amounts of crack-resistant, 10-14 ounce dark fruits perfect for sandwiches and salads. |
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Caspian Pink Beefsteak / Pink / 16+ ounces / 80 days /Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. From southern Russia’s warm Caspian Sea region, this is the first tomato to beat Brandywine in California taste tests! Often called the “Queen of the Pinks,” with an incredibly sweet and juicy fruit that can reach one pound or larger. Great either fresh or cooked. Will do well in cooler areas. (“A beefsteak that grows in West County! Was one of the best tomatoes in my garden.”) |
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Chef’s Choice Bicolor Beefsteak / Yellow-red / 8 ounces / 75 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. NEW FOR 2023! An AAS winner. The beautiful yellow color of the skin hides the internal crimson stripes that makes the sliced fruit so attractive. Sweet and savory is how one judge defined the taste. Strong indeterminate vines produce up to 30 fruit of approximately 8 ounces each. Excellent for fresh harvest, or preserving. |
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Chef’s Choice Orange Beefsteak / Orange / 9-12 ounces / 75 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. An AAS winner! An orange beefsteak with high resistance to tobacco mosaic virus is more productive and earlier than most orange beefsteaks. It is low in acid and has a good flavor and texture. (“My favorite tomato—great producer, healthy vines, and beautiful, firm fruits that are simply delicious!”) |
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Chef’s Choice Pink Beefsteak / Pink / 12-14 ounces / 75 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. A hybrid that is easier to grow than some heirlooms, but just as flavorful. Disease-resistant, rugose-leaved hybrid produces beautiful deep pink, meaty, large fruits with a great old-fashioned tomato taste and early to boot! |
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Chef’s Choice Red Beefsteak / Red / 8 ounces / 85 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. NEW FOR 2023! An AAS winner, judges rave about the prolific yields of beautiful red, globe-shaped fruits with firm flesh. Just the right balance of acid to sugar creates a flavor similar to heirlooms. This one has rich dark green foliage and a neat, manageable habit. |
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Cherokee Purple Beefsteak / Deep Pink / 12 ounces / 75-90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. An Ark of Taste variety. Pre-1890 variety, reputed to be an old Cherokee Indian heirloom. Uniquely colored dusty rose-brown fruit with delicious, old-time flavor. (“The taste was outstanding. It wants a sunny spot. Very pretty-looking fruit, dark pink with green shoulders.”) Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Chocolate Stripe Beefsteak / Deep orange-brown / To 16 ounces / 75 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. The Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Catalogue says it all: “One of the most amazing tomatoes we have ever grown. Both color and taste excel.” A taste test winner, these large tomato plants yield a big crop of mahogany colored fruit with dark, olive green-striping (similar to Black Zebra). ("Fruits have delicious, complex, rich, sweet, earthy tomato flavors.”) Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Cuor di Bue Beefsteak / Deep pink / 7-9 ounces / 70 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. The 7-9 ounce heart-shaped fruit are meaty, with deep pink/red flesh and few seeds. Real tomato taste, great for fresh eating or sauce. The tomato all our Italian grandfathers grew. A very large vigorous growing plant; these are quite productive and relatively early. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of growitalian.com |
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German Johnson Beefsteak / Pink-red / 16 ounces / 78 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. NEW FOR 2023! A large, prolific plant originating in Virginia and North Carolina. Big, leafy, robust plants that produce huge beefsteak type tomatoes with excellent flavor. This one is very popular at farmers' markets - a wonderful sandwich tomato with good disease resistance. |
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German Pink Beefsteak / Pink / 16-24 ounces / 85 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. We are proud to offer this Bavarian heirloom in our collection. It is one of two plants that inspired Diane Ott Whealy to found Seed Savers Exchange in 1975. The seeds of this tomato were brought to the U.S.A. by her German great-grandfather. A massive, meaty beefsteak weighs 1-2 pounds! Its large, sturdy plants do require trellising. It is prized for its full, sweet, gourmet flavor. Excellent for canning, freezing and just plain slicing. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange |
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Hawaiian Pineapple Beefsteak / Yellow-Red / 16-24 ounces / 95 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. The name itself explains how wonderful this tomato is: large, yellow & red, 1-pound fruit with excellent flavor—sweet and fruity, somewhat pineapple-like in taste. (“Beautiful, large golden yellow tomatoes. Its internal coloring is also a bright golden yellow with red highlights—very eye-catching on its own or as an addition to mixed salads. This size makes for perfect sandwich slices. Fabulous flavor is accentuated when allowed to fully ripen—sweet, juicy, with hints of citrus. If that's not enough, it’s also a prolific producer!”) Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Hillbilly Beefsteak / Yellow-Red / 16-32 ounces /85 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Originally from West Virginia, this bi-color is like a lovely sunrise, yellow with streaks of red and when you cut it open, it's an amazing starburst. Robust and prolific, with a rich, sweet flavor. Low acid. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange |
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Italian Red Pear Beefsteak / Red / 8-18 ounce / 70-75 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. This old Northern Italian variety is an outstanding producer of huge (as in 8-18 ounce) very tasty fruit. Great for salads and sandwiches, it's really meaty and contains few seeds. Pear shaped with vertical ribs - a must try. Early for such a large plant, this is not the small pear shaped tomato called red pear sold by U.S. seed companies. Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Kellogg’s Breakfast Beefsteak / Orange / 16-32 ounces / 90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. West Virginia heirloom beefsteak tomato with large orange fruits weighing from 1-2 pounds. Delicious and superbly sweet! (“WOW!!! For a large, delicious, productive and sliceable tomato (think BLT), try the Kellogg's Breakfast. Once this one got started it was a HUGE producer! Very large tomatoes, deep gold in color and a mild sweet flavor…delicious! A good acid/sugar balance.”) |
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Margold Beefsteak / Red-yellow / 7-10 ounce / 75 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. Classic flavor and appearance, similar to Striped German. Margold preserves the look and flavor of the red-streaked yellow heirlooms, while improving upon disease resistance and yield. Its very soft flesh has excellent, sweet flavor and great texture, with 7-10 ounce fruit. ("This one was super successful on all fronts: flavorful, beautiful, large fruit, and productive plants - I'll be choosing this one again!") Available in Walnut Creek only. |
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Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak / Red / 16-32 ounces / 80-90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. As its name indicates, a prolific family heirloom from 1940s Kentucky where, using the proceeds from its sale, “Radiator Charlie” Byles paid off his $6,000 home mortgage (those were the days!!) in just six years. Produces 1-2 pound big, red, very flavorful beefsteak tomatoes. Plants are very productive, disease-resistant and long-bearing. (“Just all around perfect tomatoes, no problems, good yield, medium-to-large fruits with that wonderful, old-fashioned tomato taste.”) |
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Paul Robeson Beefsteak / Deep Red / 7-10 ounces / 90 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Produces 7-10 ounce, blackish brick-red fruits whose sweet and smoky flavor is unparalleled. A Russian heirloom that was named to honor the American opera singer and racial equality/social justice advocate, Paul Robeson (1898-1976) who was idolized in Russia. (“We love this variety in East County!”) |
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Persimmon Beefsteak / Orange / 12-32 ounces / 79 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Vigorous and prolific heirloom produces 12 ounce to 2 pound persimmon-colored beefsteak tomatoes. Right at home in short-season gardens. Very meaty and with few seeds, this popular variety is also low in acid. (“Beautiful and large with rose/orange skin and flesh. Real eye candy in a tomato salad. Sweet, rich tomato taste—another taste test winner. Persimmon is said to have been grown in Thomas Jefferson's garden.”) *Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company |
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Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye Beefsteak / Deep Pink multi / 8-12 ounces / 65-75 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. 8-12 ounce fruits are dark wine color with metallic green striping, and the flesh is pink with yellow streaks. One of the best of the Boar Series by Brad Gates. The flavor is outstanding - sweet and complex like the finest heirlooms. They have an engaging tanginess, almost as if lightly salted. Compact plant. |
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Pomodoro Canestrino di Lucca Beefsteak / Deep Orange / 5-7 ounces / 80 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. Found in every garden in Italy, we bring this heirloom directly to you from the Italian province of Lucca. You won’t find it any place else! Part of the traditional “Basket of Lucchese”—products selected for their authentic expression of Lucca—it has a beautiful ribbed-basket shape. These fruits have firm flesh, low acidity and high sugar, and aren’t watery. Very versatile—great in salads or pasta, fresh or cooked. Viva Italia! (“Added it to tomato salads, made tomato sauce and threw it straight into pasta dishes for authentic sauces. 2-3 inches in diameter, scalloped in shape, deep orange in color, dense and very flavorful. The flavor was rich and not overly acidic. The plant itself was very hardy, growing to over 6’ tall with strong, thick stems. I would definitely purchase this one again!”) |
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Super Fantastic Beefsteak / Red / 10 ounces / 70 days / Hybrid / Indeterminate. Heavy yields of ten-ounce fruits with a super-rich tomato flavor are borne all season long on disease-resistant vines. (“We are excited to bring this tomato to you this year, now that we have field-tested it. We think its over-the-top name is well deserved.”) |
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Vorlon Beefsteak / Deep Red-black / 16 ounces / 80 days / Open Pollinated / Indeterminate. A cross between Cherokee Purple and Pruden’s Purple created this stunning "purple-black" beefsteak with a rich, smoky-earthy taste that Baker Creek called its “best tasting tomato” the last few years. Up to 1 pound fruits appear mid-season. (“Even in Richmond, Vorlon produced the most delicious tomatoes in my garden.”) |
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