Heirloom Beefsteak Mix
Solanum lycopersicum 'Heirloom Beefsteak Mix'
A diverse collection of open-pollinated beefsteak varieties offering an array of colors, flavors, and sizes in one packet. Each plant produces massive, ribbed fruits perfect for slicing, with flavors ranging from sweet to complex and tangy. Save seeds to continue growing your favorites year after year.
Harvest
80-95d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Heirloom Beefsteak Mix in USDA Zone 7
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Heirloom Beefsteak Mix · Zones 10–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| 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 ripe beefsteaks at room temperature for peak flavor — refrigeration dulls their complex taste. They'll keep 3-5 days on the counter, longer if picked slightly underripe. For storage beyond a week, place in a single layer in a cool (55-65°F) location like a basement or garage.
These premium slicing tomatoes are best preserved through freezing for later cooking use. Core and blanch whole tomatoes for 1 minute, then peel and freeze in portions. Their high moisture content makes them unsuitable for traditional drying, but they excel in fresh salsa that can be frozen or canned using tested recipes.
For canning, use only tested recipes for tomato sauce or paste, adding lemon juice or citric acid for safety. The variable acidity levels across different heirloom varieties require this extra precaution for safe home canning.
History & Origin
The Heirloom Beefsteak Mix represents a curated collection of open-pollinated beefsteak varieties that have been passed down through generations of gardeners, each with its own unique story. The beefsteak category itself emerged in the late 1800s when American gardeners began selecting for increasingly larger fruit size, departing from the smaller European varieties.
Many varieties in typical mixes trace back to family gardens from the early 1900s through 1940s, before hybrid varieties dominated commercial production. These include legendary varieties like Mortgage Lifter (developed by a radiator repairman in the 1940s who paid off his mortgage selling the plants), Cherokee Purple (passed down through Cherokee families), and various German and Italian immigrant varieties brought to America in the late 19th century.
The preservation of these genetics became critical as commercial agriculture moved toward uniform hybrids. Seed saving organizations like Seed Savers Exchange, founded in 1975, helped maintain these diverse flavor profiles and growing characteristics that would otherwise have been lost. Today's mixes celebrate this genetic diversity while offering gardeners the excitement of discovering their own favorites to save and continue growing.
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 tomato flavor
Marigolds
Repel nematodes, aphids, and other harmful insects
Carrots
Help break up soil for tomato roots, don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects and doesn't compete for space
Chives
Repel aphids and may improve tomato growth and flavor
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and can be harvested before tomatoes need full space
Oregano
Repels pests and may enhance tomato flavor
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone which is toxic to tomatoes and causes wilting
Fennel
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both are heavy feeders competing for nutrients, corn attracts tomato fruitworm
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Limited resistance; prone to cracking and splitting in wet weather
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, cutworms, aphids, stink bugs
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, bacterial canker