Beefsteak, Just Wondering?

AlittleSalt · February 15, 2015

I found many seed companies selling a tomato variety called, "Beefsteak" You can buy it for as little as 20 cents - up to 5 bucks. I searched the logical place to look it up, http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Beefsteak

But, I have read so many countless times that this variety is a beefsteak, or it is of beefsteak size. At one time, I thought beefsteak was a catch-all... meaning big, or ruffled or not sorta.

I almost bought a pack of beefsteak seeds even though I have little interest. What is a beefsteak? A size, color, shape, an actual variety of tomato? Something born in mythological thoughts? The pack of seeds I looked at most showed a plain red tomato. Probably near 8oz.

PA_Julia · February 16, 2015

Beefsteak seems to be a ""catch all "" term for any large tomato.
Big Zac, a hybrid created from two beef steak strains is used in competition by me and many others. It's a hybrid but is also refereed as being a beefsteak.

Most beefsteak plants grow large and indeterminate and can be potato leaf or regular leaf.

They also transcend the three categories of tomatoes; Heirloom, OP and hybrid.

Some examples of beefsteaks are Church, Delicious, Amana Orange, Kellogg's Breakfast, Dr. Wyche's Yellow,Burpee beefsteak hybrid, Big Zac, Sicilian Saucer, Brandywine, Black Brandywine, etc, etc, etc.

feldon30 · February 16, 2015

Beefsteak is a category. Beefsteak is also a variety. I grow many different varieties of beefsteak tomato, but ironically, I've never grown nor tasted Beefsteak.

travis · February 16, 2015

I echo what Feldon said: Beefsteak (uppercase) is a variety and beefsteak (lower case) is a category.

Beefsteak as a cultivar is the same as Crimson Cushion which is the same as Ponderosa Red.

I suppose once Beefsteak became well received, seed vendors began calling many other tomato cultivars with the same or similar interior texture and appearance "beefsteak" type tomatoes as a generic description.

My opinion is that most of the modern hybrids that breeders and vendors are calling "beefsteak" types do not have the interior structure, texture, and visual appearance of a true beefsteak type tomato.

To me, beefsteak type tomatoes have a dense, meaty core speckled with randomly arranged, small locules with minimal gel and few seeds ... in other words, a large, thick slice of a beefsteak tomato should look like a well marbled slab of beef steak.

What's being called beefsteak type modern hybrids often have a pinwheel arrangement of larger seed locules with lots of gel and seeds.

BigVanVader · February 16, 2015

I'm growing Beefsteak the variety this year, so I will see what it looks/taste like. I was curious as well if it was just a generic name given to a number of different tomatoes or not.

LindyAdele · March 20, 2015

I asked my neighbors if I can give them a couple of tomato plants this year - they love my tomatoes, and they are wonderful flower gardeners I am trying to convert to vegetable gardeners, so I wanted to grow out some seedlings for them. They asked for a few varieties I always grow, and then added 'can you grow me a beefsteak'? Now, I have 'Beefsteak' seeds... I'm just wondering if I should grow those, or hand them something like Marianna's Peace or Delicious or Pink Elgin instead? I haven't hear anything about the taste of 'beefsteak'....

Worth1 · March 20, 2015

Look at the size if the steakhouse.

LindyAdele · March 20, 2015

Worth, that tomato hardly looks real! The package I have says "heirloom beefsteak" that is the only name...

Worth1 · March 20, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

Worth, that tomato hardly looks real! The package I have says "heirloom beefsteak" that is the only name...

Looks like they found the smallest kid they could find to hold it.
Like a Big Mac.

Burpee even sells one they just call Beefsteak.

Here is what TGS sells as a beefsteak.
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/BEEFSTE...ductinfo/5720/
And Bonnie plants sells one they call an heirloom beefsteak.

Very confusing I have seen tomatoes called cherry and grape too.

AlittleSalt · March 20, 2015

It is confusing.

Lindy, I would grow both for them. The one called, "Beefsteak", and then your favorite beefsteak type. And explain it to them.

If nothing else, you could do this to tell me what a beefsteak tomato named, "Beefsteak" tastes like...lol

Cheryl2017 · March 20, 2015

Haha. I picked up one at HEB called beefsteak. I'll let you know how it taste. This thread made me curious.

AlittleSalt · March 20, 2015

Cool Cheryl, I can't wait

Gardeneer · March 21, 2015

I think of "beefsteak" as a description of fruits size. So you can call any tomato within certain size a "beefsteak". Maybe once there was a variety that was named "Beefsteak" but that name has been corrupted.

Tormato · March 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis

I echo what Feldon said: Beefsteak (uppercase) is a variety and beefsteak (lower case) is a category.

Beefsteak as a cultivar is the same as Crimson Cushion which is the same as Ponderosa Red.

I suppose once Beefsteak became well received, seed vendors began calling many other tomato cultivars with the same or similar interior texture and appearance "beefsteak" type tomatoes as a generic description.

My opinion is that most of the modern hybrids that breeders and vendors are calling "beefsteak" types do not have the interior structure, texture, and visual appearance of a true beefsteak type tomato.

To me, beefsteak type tomatoes have a dense, meaty core speckled with randomly arranged, small locules with minimal gel and few seeds ... in other words, a large, thick slice of a beefsteak tomato should look like a well marbled slab of beef steak.

What's being called beefsteak type modern hybrids often have a pinwheel arrangement of larger seed locules with lots of gel and seeds.

You nailed it, Travis.

I trialed (the Company-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) Bushsteak in 2014. It was a semi-bush plant, overloaded with insipid, 12-14 ounce, pinwheels of gel and seeds. These things couldn't even make it to the sauce pot, where virtually all of my poor tasting trials are banished. The pictures of (the Company-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) Bushsteak that I've seen did not look like any Bushsteak that was harvested from my garden.

Gary

pauldavid · March 21, 2015

I've also heard that those op beefsteaks that are labeled 'Beefsteak' are Ponderosa or Crimson Cushion. I saw one that had 'Heirloom Beefsteak' on the front of package and had 'Crimson Cushion' on the back! Never tried it though. Here in NE Louisiana I have tried FM Pink Brandywine that made a few big maters, but tasted bland. I have never tried Sudduth's. Mortgage Lifter started out big but got smaller as summer progressed, it tasted bland to me too. Any suggestions for beefsteaks in the deep south? I heard Stump of the World was good

February 15, 2015	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Beefsteak, Just Wondering? I found many seed companies selling a tomato variety called, "Beefsteak" You can buy it for as little as 20 cents - up to 5 bucks. I searched the logical place to look it up, http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Beefsteak But, I have read so many countless times that this variety is a beefsteak, or it is of beefsteak size. At one time, I thought beefsteak was a catch-all... meaning big, or ruffled or not sorta. I almost bought a pack of beefsteak seeds even though I have little interest. What is a beefsteak? A size, color, shape, an actual variety of tomato? Something born in mythological thoughts? The pack of seeds I looked at most showed a plain red tomato. Probably near 8oz.

February 16, 2015	#2
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	Beefsteak seems to be a ""catch all "" term for any large tomato. Big Zac, a hybrid created from two beef steak strains is used in competition by me and many others. It's a hybrid but is also refereed as being a beefsteak. Most beefsteak plants grow large and indeterminate and can be potato leaf or regular leaf. They also transcend the three categories of tomatoes; Heirloom, OP and hybrid. Some examples of beefsteaks are Church, Delicious, Amana Orange, Kellogg's Breakfast, Dr. Wyche's Yellow,Burpee beefsteak hybrid, Big Zac, Sicilian Saucer, Brandywine, Black Brandywine, etc, etc, etc. __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

February 16, 2015	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Beefsteak is a category. Beefsteak is also a variety. I grow many different varieties of beefsteak tomato, but ironically, I've never grown nor tasted Beefsteak. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

February 16, 2015	#4
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	I echo what Feldon said: Beefsteak (uppercase) is a variety and beefsteak (lower case) is a category. Beefsteak as a cultivar is the same as Crimson Cushion which is the same as Ponderosa Red. I suppose once Beefsteak became well received, seed vendors began calling many other tomato cultivars with the same or similar interior texture and appearance "beefsteak" type tomatoes as a generic description. My opinion is that most of the modern hybrids that breeders and vendors are calling "beefsteak" types do not have the interior structure, texture, and visual appearance of a true beefsteak type tomato. To me, beefsteak type tomatoes have a dense, meaty core speckled with randomly arranged, small locules with minimal gel and few seeds ... in other words, a large, thick slice of a beefsteak tomato should look like a well marbled slab of beef steak. What's being called beefsteak type modern hybrids often have a pinwheel arrangement of larger seed locules with lots of gel and seeds.

February 16, 2015	#5
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	I'm growing Beefsteak the variety this year, so I will see what it looks/taste like. I was curious as well if it was just a generic name given to a number of different tomatoes or not.

March 20, 2015	#6
LindyAdele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 323	I asked my neighbors if I can give them a couple of tomato plants this year - they love my tomatoes, and they are wonderful flower gardeners I am trying to convert to vegetable gardeners, so I wanted to grow out some seedlings for them. They asked for a few varieties I always grow, and then added 'can you grow me a beefsteak'? Now, I have 'Beefsteak' seeds... I'm just wondering if I should grow those, or hand them something like Marianna's Peace or Delicious or Pink Elgin instead? I haven't hear anything about the taste of 'beefsteak'....

March 20, 2015	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Look at the size if the steakhouse.

March 20, 2015	#11
Cheryl2017 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: san antonio, texas Posts: 173	Haha. I picked up one at HEB called beefsteak. I'll let you know how it taste. This thread made me curious.

March 21, 2015	#13
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	I think of "beefsteak" as a description of fruits size. So you can call any tomato within certain size a "beefsteak". Maybe once there was a variety that was named "Beefsteak" but that name has been corrupted.

March 21, 2015	#15
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	I've also heard that those op beefsteaks that are labeled 'Beefsteak' are Ponderosa or Crimson Cushion. I saw one that had 'Heirloom Beefsteak' on the front of package and had 'Crimson Cushion' on the back! Never tried it though. Here in NE Louisiana I have tried FM Pink Brandywine that made a few big maters, but tasted bland. I have never tried Sudduth's. Mortgage Lifter started out big but got smaller as summer progressed, it tasted bland to me too. Any suggestions for beefsteaks in the deep south? I heard Stump of the World was good