Big Beef
Solanum lycopersicum
Still unsurpassed as the top choice for fresh market beefsteak tomatoes. Large, avg. 10-12 oz., mostly blemish-free, globe-shaped red fruit. They have full flavor - among the best - and ripen early for their size. Broad disease resistance package. AAS Winner. Indeterminate.
Harvest
70d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Big Beef in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Big Beef · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store fully ripe Big Beef tomatoes at room temperature for 3-5 days for peak flavor, as refrigeration diminishes their taste. If you must refrigerate, bring them back to room temperature before eating. Store stem-side down to prevent moisture loss.
For preservation, Big Beef's meaty texture and rich flavor make them excellent for canning as whole or diced tomatoes. Their low water content means less cooking time to achieve proper consistency for sauces. Freeze by coring and placing whole in freezer bags - the skins slip off easily after thawing.
Dehydrate thick slices at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create intensely flavored dried tomatoes. The large size makes them perfect for stuffing and freezing whole after blanching - stuff with rice, herbs, and vegetables, then wrap individually for convenient meals.
History & Origin
Big Beef was developed by Burpee Seeds in the 1990s as part of their mission to create hybrid tomatoes that matched the flavor of heirlooms while offering modern disease resistance and reliability. The breeding program aimed to address gardener complaints that hybrids sacrificed taste for performance.
Released in 1994, Big Beef won the prestigious All-America Selections award that same year - a rare achievement for a first-year release. The award recognized its exceptional combination of size, flavor, and garden performance across diverse growing conditions throughout North America.
The variety was created by crossing large-fruited heirloom types with disease-resistant modern varieties, though the exact parentage remains proprietary. Burpee's breeding team spent over a decade developing the line, testing thousands of crosses to achieve the perfect balance of old-world flavor and new-world reliability. Big Beef quickly became one of the most popular home garden tomatoes in North America and remains a standard by which other large hybrids are measured.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve flavor
Marigolds
Repel nematodes and other harmful insects
Carrots
Help break up soil and don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Chives
Repel aphids and may reduce fungal diseases
Borage
Repels tomato hornworm and may improve tomato growth
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for nutrients
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomatoes
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm and compete for similar nutrients
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Alternaria Stem Canker (High); Fusarium Wilt races 1, 2 (High); Gray Leaf Spot (High); Nematodes (High); Tobacco Mosaic Virus (High); Verticillium Wilt (High)
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites
Diseases
Late blight, bacterial spot, septoria leaf spot