Good heirloom/OP replacements for Big Beef & Brandy Boy?

14 years ago

I am thinking seriously of moving to entirely OP and heirloom tomatoes when I've used all my hybrid seeds.

My two favorite hybrids are Big Beef and Brandy Boy. What would you suggest to replace them that are equal in taste and production? Taste first -- I have enough room to plant more tomatoes if production is a concern.

I have the following heirloom-OP varieties:

Brandywine Sudduth

Mortgage Lifter

Cuostralee

New Big Dwarf

Rutgers determinate

Japanese Black Trifele

Black Cherry

Doug Oster's Potato Top

Red Robin

Cherokee Purple

Citron

Neves Azorean Red

Not an extensive list, I know, but it's sufficient for my needs right now. I have other heirlooms in mind to add to my stash, but really want some good heirloom beefsteaks when I run out of those I've listed.

Suggestions will be appreciated.

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Comments (10)

digdirt2
14 years ago
Well supposedly Brandy Boy's mama is Brandywine - or maybe it was papa, not sure. So that's one. For Big Beef I'm doing NAR this year instead - read rave reviews but haven't tried one yet - and German Giant. I'll let you know. ;)

Dave
geeboss
14 years ago
Earl Faux, Ed's Millennium, Goose Creek would be worth trying along with Brandywine Sudduth.

geeboss
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anney
Original Author
14 years ago
Dave

I'm growing a couple of NARs too, though I think I mixed their labels with two Mortgage Lifter labels. Carolyn137 tells me I should be able to tell the difference when they set fruit with the final test being the tomato skin color. Transparent for the ML and yellow for the NAR, I believe she said.

Anyway, when they're both ripe, I'll do a side-by-side taste-test of the Big Beef and NAR fruits to see if they're comparable. I guess I should do the same kind of test next summer with Brandywines and Brandy Boys -- not growing the Brandywines this summer.
tomatovator
14 years ago
Instead of Big Beef you may want to try Druzba or Rutgers or Red Brandywine (and a whole lot more red globe-shaped tomatoes). Instead of Brandy Boy some other big pinks I like are Marianna's Peace, Polish and Crnkovic Yugoslavian. There are tons of big pinks to choose from but I've tried these and they are my favorites so far.
justaguy2
14 years ago
I have grown Neves for several years and it is terrific. Large and often ugly, but terrific.

Replacing BrandyBoy with Brandywine seems a no brainer though some (like me) get little production from Brandywine (Sudduth).

There is an OP version of Big Beef available from TomatoFest. I couldn't tell you how it compares to the hybrid as I am growing it for the first time this year.
anney
Original Author
14 years ago
geeboss

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll put them on my order list. Are Ed's Millennium and Goose Creek available commercially? I'm sure I've seen Earl's Faux.
anney
Original Author
14 years ago
JAG & tomatovator

Thanks to you both. I'm going to save this thread in my Clippings so I can find your suggestions in December! I have a feeling I'm going to end up with a lot of possibilities!
rwk_nova
14 years ago
For a Pink I like Caspian Pink quite a bit as well as the aforementioned Brandywine Sudduth & Crnkovic Yugoslavian.
A couple of good Red options are Brandywine Landis Valley Strain and Brandywine OTV, IMHO.
pennyrile
14 years ago
I'd love to see an open pollinated tomato that truly matches the characteristics and value of Big Beef. I'm betting there isn't one. Big Beef is pretty special with regard to production, disease resistance and flavor. If anyone really finds a head-to-head replacement, please holler out. None I've seen mentioned meet the challenge, in my opinion.

An open pollinated replacement for Brandy Boy will be easier, I imagine. According to many reports right here at GW and other tomato haunts, Cowlicks Brandywine is a contender. I've not grown it yet. Anyone else who has maybe can chime in.
carolyn137
14 years ago
In place of Brandy Boy, a pink:

Brandywine ( Sudduth), Omar's Lebanese, Large Pink Bulgarian, Tidwell German. with taste being the prime consideration, not leaf form

In place of Big Beef, a red

Neves Azorean Red
Red Penna
Chapman
Cuostralee
Zogola

Carolyn

Good heirloom/OP replacements for Big Beef & Brandy Boy?

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Good heirloom/OP replacements for Big Beef & Brandy Boy?

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