Best Red Beefsteak Hybrid

Karma · February 5, 2018

Hi friends,

I am looking for your advice with trying a hybrid red beefsteak. I haven't been able to grow an heirloom red that has more than 10 tomatoes all season. I don't know why hybrid tomatoes are so maligned as some of my favorite tomatoes are hybrids like Sungold and Sunchocola, Sweet Treats and Sweet Tangerine to name a few.

What is your opinion on the Beefy Boy, Better Boy or any another hybrid that you like? I am looking for a lot of old time flavor and complexity, sweetness with great production. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Karma

Al@NC · February 5, 2018

It's hard to go wrong with Big Beef F1, but I think it's pink... It's an AAS winner as well.

Al

Greatgardens · February 5, 2018

Second Big Beef, and also add Harris' Supersonic. I'd probably choose Supersonic over BB, but can't really cite any compelling reason.
-GG

zipcode · February 5, 2018

Big Beef is a good choice, it will need massive fertilizing if you want to achieve the taste potential though.
I have had more productive heirlooms than BB though, not red though since I didn't try that many red.

Nan_PA_6b · February 6, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipcode

Big Beef is a good choice, it will need massive fertilizing if you want to achieve the taste potential though...

We fertilize minimally and grow in nearly-pure clay and get great flavor.

Nan

zipcode · February 7, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

We fertilize minimally and grow in nearly-pure clay and get great flavor.

Nan

It's probably a great soil. I have grown Big Beef in poor soil and it was really bad tasting. Then in containers was also harder to please then most.
I have a friend with what seems like terrible clay soil that gets as a rock if dry (completely different place) and it's insanely fertile. Everything grows to gigantic sizes with exactly zero additions (it's still a new spot, things will probably not continue like this forever). Normal radishes grow like a beetroot, I helped him to set up a small garden and I overcrowded everything badly since I wasn't used to things growing like this.

gssgarden · February 5, 2018

1-Big Beef
2-Big Beef
and 3-Big Beef!

A monster for me year after year! Decent taste as well.

Greg

BigVanVader · February 5, 2018

Just another Big Beef vote here..

FarmerShawn · February 5, 2018

I grow Big Beef because it’s a good Seller at market, but I’d rather eat a classic Big Boy. Jet Star also performs well.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**Lee** · February 5, 2018

Big Beef is red.

Also my go to for a good round, red, beefsteak with very good taste, superb disease tolerance, and excellent productivity.
Not as tasty as Cuostralee, but 2_3X the production.....

Lee

ABlindHog · February 5, 2018

I grow a couple of big beef plants every year. They produce good, larger than average, red, round tomatoes. I don't really think of them as beefsteaks though. When I think beefsteak I see an irregular oblate of at least half a pound, juicy and delicious as the taste you always hope for but seldom find. In my opinion you will not find many hybrids that fit that description. It costs a lot to develop and produce a good hybrid. Companies that make that kind of long term investment want a tomato that is marketable. Attractiveness (even color with no visible green around the stems, scabs or cracks), long shelf life (thick skinned), ease of shipping and displaying (even shapes and sizes) disease resistance, mechanically pick-able, and lots of other characteristics come before taste. Good hunting
If you have never gotten more than ten tomatoes to a plant I suggest you re-evaluate your feeding program. Make sure you are not gardening in the shade. Etc...

Koala Doug · February 5, 2018

For a hybrid, I've always preferred the University Of Florida's 'Garden Treasure'.

Barb_FL · February 5, 2018

Of the pink/red hybrids, I like Momotaro the best. Great production/taste.

I grow a couple of Big Beef plants knowing I will get a lot of tomatoes that taste good.

Champion 2 gave the most production of ANY beefstake I ever grew. Easily 300 Beefstake tomatoes; grown in an Earthbox. Taste was almost comparable to BigBeef.

Nan_PA_6b · February 5, 2018

Big Beef. They are round to oblate, anywhere from 6 oz to over a lb. Very prolific in the sun, wimpy in the shade.
My mother swears by them. Her big one is 1 lb. 11 oz.

MrBig46 · February 5, 2018

My best (most delicious) red tomato is the Czech hybrid Start F1, but it is not steak. In our conditions very fertile. I've also grown Big Beef, Big Boy, Beter Boy, Best Boy, Park's Whooper, Bush Goliath. Perhaps some of them were pink, but it does not matter to me. If interested, I can send seeds.
Vladimír

February 5, 2018	#1
Karma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 64	Best Red Beefsteak Hybrid Hi friends, I am looking for your advice with trying a hybrid red beefsteak. I haven't been able to grow an heirloom red that has more than 10 tomatoes all season. I don't know why hybrid tomatoes are so maligned as some of my favorite tomatoes are hybrids like Sungold and Sunchocola, Sweet Treats and Sweet Tangerine to name a few. What is your opinion on the Beefy Boy, Better Boy or any another hybrid that you like? I am looking for a lot of old time flavor and complexity, sweetness with great production. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Karma

February 5, 2018	#9
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I grow Big Beef because it’s a good Seller at market, but I’d rather eat a classic Big Boy. Jet Star also performs well. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

February 5, 2018	#10
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Big Beef is red. Also my go to for a good round, red, beefsteak with very good taste, superb disease tolerance, and excellent productivity. Not as tasty as Cuostralee, but 2_3X the production..... Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

February 5, 2018	#11
ABlindHog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: The Texas Hill Country Posts: 149	I grow a couple of big beef plants every year. They produce good, larger than average, red, round tomatoes. I don't really think of them as beefsteaks though. When I think beefsteak I see an irregular oblate of at least half a pound, juicy and delicious as the taste you always hope for but seldom find. In my opinion you will not find many hybrids that fit that description. It costs a lot to develop and produce a good hybrid. Companies that make that kind of long term investment want a tomato that is marketable. Attractiveness (even color with no visible green around the stems, scabs or cracks), long shelf life (thick skinned), ease of shipping and displaying (even shapes and sizes) disease resistance, mechanically pick-able, and lots of other characteristics come before taste. Good hunting If you have never gotten more than ten tomatoes to a plant I suggest you re-evaluate your feeding program. Make sure you are not gardening in the shade. Etc... Last edited by ABlindHog; February 5, 2018 at 11:20 AM.

February 5, 2018	#2
Al@NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vernon, BC Posts: 720	It's hard to go wrong with Big Beef F1, but I think it's pink... It's an AAS winner as well. Al

February 5, 2018	#3
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	Second Big Beef, and also add Harris' Supersonic. I'd probably choose Supersonic over BB, but can't really cite any compelling reason. -GG

February 5, 2018	#4
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Big Beef is a good choice, it will need massive fertilizing if you want to achieve the taste potential though. I have had more productive heirlooms than BB though, not red though since I didn't try that many red.

February 5, 2018	#7
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,822	1-Big Beef 2-Big Beef and 3-Big Beef! A monster for me year after year! Decent taste as well. Greg

February 5, 2018	#8
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Just another Big Beef vote here..

February 5, 2018	#12
Koala Doug Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 688	For a hybrid, I've always preferred the University Of Florida's 'Garden Treasure'.

February 5, 2018	#13
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Of the pink/red hybrids, I like Momotaro the best. Great production/taste. I grow a couple of Big Beef plants knowing I will get a lot of tomatoes that taste good. Champion 2 gave the most production of ANY beefstake I ever grew. Easily 300 Beefstake tomatoes; grown in an Earthbox. Taste was almost comparable to BigBeef.

February 5, 2018	#15
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,529	My best (most delicious) red tomato is the Czech hybrid Start F1, but it is not steak. In our conditions very fertile. I've also grown Big Beef, Big Boy, Beter Boy, Best Boy, Park's Whooper, Bush Goliath. Perhaps some of them were pink, but it does not matter to me. If interested, I can send seeds. Vladimír