"The picture really doesn't do it justice because it is much wider than it is deep, so not perfectly round. "

My assumption of a perfect sphere overestimates, not underestimates, the weight. But, I underestimated the weight by disregarding the fact that the golf ball is closer to the camera lens than the tomato is. I simply measured the widest parts of the images on my TV screen with a ruler. They were 8" for the tomato and 3.75" for the golf ball. (8/3.75)*1.68 = 3.584

It would be easier for you to measure the tomato's circumference with a tailor's tape measure. I think I'll do that on my largest green Big Beef tomato and report it.

aruzinsky,

Circumference is 15" which would yield a diameter of 4.78".

edit: Found this: https://delectationoftomatoes.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/predicting-and-estimating-tomato-weights/

Using the circumference method and using his factor of .90 for green tomatoes I came up with a weight of 1.42 lbs. If it measured the same at 25 percent ripe it would yield a weight of 1.497 lbs. I guess we will see how close this is when I pick. :)

"Circumference is 15"

If it were a sphere of water, it would weigh 2.05 lbs.. My largest is 26.5 cm which translates to 0.69 lbs..

"factor of .90 for green tomatoes"

I wanted to check whether a green Big Beef tomato floats in water so I looked for one that had dropped to the ground this morning but some animal had eaten it. I'm not going to remove one from a plant so that will have to wait.

All the tomatoes I tested float in water, except one. I tested ripe and green tomatoes, including Big Beef. I used treated tap water at room temprature. Water here tends to be lower ph. A super ripe Purple Bumble Bee sank.

The maximum density of water, 1 g./cc., occurs at 4 degrees Centigrade. I remember this because my public high school physics teacher, Mr. Finkbinder, circa 1964, said that this was evidence that there is a God because, otherwise, lakes would freeze from the bottom up, killing fish.

Anyway, in the present context, room temperature is close enough.

Picked my first tomato this year today. It was a Big Boy though not all that big and has a dry area from BER but that will be easily cut away when it is completely ripe.

I noted in another post that deer have been eating the blossoms and tomatoes on B Sudduth. Not so on Big Boy as there are tomatoes still to ripen on it.

I am never going to win a zone-first contest because my vegetable garden is partially shaded. I picked my first Big Beef today at the orange/pink stage because we are headed out of town for ten days in the morning.

This is my first time with BB and it will be very productive - there are 30+ fruits set, although fruit set has slowed with a series of 95 degree days.

Plant is about 60" tall and 45" wide. BB, Black Krim and Early Girl have the most green fruit for me. The only tomatoes eaten so far are two Cherokee Purple (in full sun) and a few Sungolds. As you can see in the pic, it looks like nothing will over-ripen during our trip and we should see plenty of red when we return

My first one is about 6 OZ and has a nose! It looks like some 9-10 oz units green on the plant. This seems to be the only cracked one and the later fruits are not ribbed like this one.

Jerry

Below: Up higher on the plant fruit continues to set.

My first ripe Big Beef is 27.5 cm circumference:

http://www.general-cathexis.com/images/FirstRipeBigBeef.jpg

I live in the Chicago area for which the USDA recently changed the hardiness zone from 5b to 6a. I blame Obama. This must be part of his global warming propaganda lies. Ten miles west of me, it's still 5b. Do I still win category 3 for my zone?

These are my Big Beef plants:

http://www.general-cathexis.com/images/BigBeefPlants.jpg

The tallest is 7 ft. but the ripe fruit is on the smallest.

I measured the specific gravity of couple of tomatoes in my kitchen laboratory and came up with. 0.95.( +/- 0.02)

The ones i did test on did float but only a tint bit of them was exposed.

Here is how I did:

==put the mater in a small container.

== fill it withe water

== took the tomato out and filled the container back with measured amount of water = v (cc)

== weighed the tomato on scale = w (gr)

== divided "w" by "v" and got 0.95 gr/cc

That is pretty much what tomatoes are, mostly water, plus some solids plus some air/gas.

It is very difficult to measure the volume of tomato by tape, cause it has no perfect geometric shape. JMO

Sey

.

I'm not going to win anything, but I offer thanks to Hudson for suggesting Big Beef. Here it is my biggest plant, has set the most fruit and was the first to produce a full size ripe fruit. I'll probably eat it tonight.

Sey - is that "nice to know" info - haha I'm glad there are gardener's like you that like to figure out that kind of info!

Great to hear that Harryshoe! I was impressed with Big Beef also!

Wow!

That's a big one! I think you have everyone beat - to date. Congratulations! Nice Big Beef Tomato!

Wow! hoosier, congrats .

That one lives up to its name : BIG beef.

Sey

My harvest is winding down from the first flush. My 4 Big Beef have so far yielded 107 fruit for a total of 50 lb. 6 oz. or just a tad under 1/2 lb. average. The largest was 17 oz. I expect the second flush that set during a cool spell in late June to average closer to 5-6 oz.

My only other slicer is Black Krim and it has yielded 23 fruit weighing 13 lb. or a little over 1/2 lb. average. Largest was 15.6 oz. The Black Krim only set a few fruit on the second flush.

Hoosier40, please, show a photo of the entire plant that the 1.7 lb. fruit came from, to give me some idea of your growing technique.

I apologize for the pictures, but it's hard to get close enough to see the plant and not too far to really see anything. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I planted the tomatoes and gradually hilled them up 8 to 10 inches or so. They are planted 4 feet apart in rows 4 feet apart. The tomatoes on all of the varieties are running on the large size this year compared to the last 2 years that I have done virtually the same thing. I have probably pulled at least 6 other Big Beefs that were right at 1 1/2 lbs. A few differences this year:

The weather has been much better with warm temperatures and less rainfall.

I planted out a few weeks later because of a very wet spring.

I gave them a bit more fertilizer this year than I usually do to make up for the late start.

It seemed to be less early blossoming and fewer tomatoes per cluster. I did no pruning of stems or fruit.

I don't know if any of this was helpful and I am not entirely sure why myself other than things lined up just right and the tomato gods were feeling sorry for me. :)

Thanks.

Ate my first Big Beef tomatoes tonight. One was 8 oz. And one was 7.9 oz. Both had some cracking along the top due to large rainfall earlier. Picked a couple blushing ones today before tonight's expected rain that don't have cracks. Tasted Grrreat!

I've picked 8 tomatoes off of my Big Beef in 2 days. I ate. Kids ate. Old Timer stopped over to pick one up and the neighbors got one. This thing is producing some huge tomatoes and I counted about 30 ready to blush and new tomatoes still setting on top. Nice choice for the contest. I will "weigh" in tomorrow when I pick in the morning. Great flavor. Pretty meaty, but not mealy. Thumbs up. Hoosier....that's a big one. I know I'm getting well over a pound fruits, but don't know if I can beat your weight. Yikes.

So far, I have eaten several Big Beef tomatoes on sandwiches and I am disappointed in the flavor which is just too weak. They seem to only add texture to the sandwich. I prefer tart tomatoes with a strong aroma on my sandwiches.

Aruzinsky....you are right about the flavor. Definitely mild, but that's what I was expecting. Almost melon like. Imo. A friend of mine who has previously grown these said the later tomatoes have a heavier taste. We shall see. I like it, though. No Heartburn. Lol

Just got back after 10 days in Montana. One 11-12 oz B went bad and had to toss it. Picked 9 smaller ones and tried one on "bread-less BLT". Tasted good there. Better than Early Girl and Lemon Boy that are my other plants producing now, although my wife likes Early Girl. It will be between Early Girl and BB next year as my early variety. Lemon Boy is out - my wife likes the color, but we can get color with Sungold with better taste and great reliability. BB produced a large number of fruits early, but slowed with a long stretch of hot weather. Early Girl kept setting fruit, so it has more now. Picked the first of many large Black Krim and will try it tonight. It has at least as many pounds of fruits as BB and is only about 8-9 days behind.

The flavor must be affected by the growing conditions. My BB's are exquisite this year. They are right up there with Brandywine Sudduth. We've had a hotter, dryer summer than we had the last couple years when I also grew these two. This is the best year ever for taste. Of course taste is subjective, but other people I've shared these with also agree that they are out of this world.

IMO the biggest killer of taste and texture of tomatoes is too much water. The drier they are the more concentrated the taste and acidity. If you are having a lot of rain there is not too much you can do but if you are watering I would cut back. I don't water unless the plants start wilting during the hottest part of the day. You have to careful of splitting when you do get a rain and I will usually pull everything I can in advance.

"later tomatoes have a heavier taste"

Apparently true because I had one yesterday that was okay. Still, I rather eat a Big Zac, Brandy Boy or Best Boy.

Update on my Big Beef. the plant has been an excellent producer by any standard and fruits are nice size and great looking. If i were to grow a red hybrid again, it would be Big Beef. However, I am going 100% heirlooms next year with one exception: Sungold. Interestingly, my other plants have outgrown big Beef lately and are setting more late fruit:

Early Girl

Black Krim

Black form Tula

Lemon Boy (next smallest about 5.5ft)

Thessaloniki

Sungold

I am up to 263 fruit (103.5 lbs.) from my 4 Big Beef plants. Largest is a 17 oz. one I picked back in July. Not much fruit left on the plants to pick but they have been setting more in the last couple weeks that won't have time to ripen. The plants are pretty crispy now especially on the west facing side that gets more intense sun in the afternoon. I am going to leave them be for a couple more weeks and hopefully the recently set fruit will get to a nice size for making pickled green tomatoes.

Two of my plants just hit the 10 ft. mark. One plant is dying. I didn't get much harvest. Largest tomato was 0.75 lbs.. Back to the drawing boards.

My Big Beef has consistently produced ripe tomatoes every few days. While they are nice looking, picture perfect, the flavor is just okay. Probably too much rain as we have had rain every three or four days and are several inches ahead of annual rainfall expectations. B Suddoth, Stump of the World and Brandy Boy produce enough eating tomatoes for us so doubt I will plant Big Beef again.

BREAKING : I just picked my first decent size Big Beef. In the past I have been picking much smaller ones.. Not quite fully ripe. Has to sit on the counter a few days.

At 6.6 oz it is not really a BIG beef. But I take it.heheThere are a lot more of the same size, breaking color.

Sey

Looks Great Sey! Our 2nd crop is ripening. I think I am going to try a different variety next year rather than plant Big Beef again. Big Beef is a good producer but not that exceptional variety that we are looking for in our GH climate.

Nice job sey! For the area you grow in...I think you are doing a great job! I am still getting lots of BB's...not the larger ones now. I will probably always grow BB...just because they are bullet-proof in my area. Ed of Somis

Thanks Hudson and Ed.

Probably I will grow Big Beef again , along with Big Boy next year. I like the look and size of Big Boy better than Better Boy.

Sey

I wish I had returned to this site earlier. Big Beef has been my dependable "go to" hybrid for years when the heirlooms were thin. But this year I tried some 'Garden Treasure' hybrid seeds and it beats Big Beef in all ways. Sorry Big Beef, you've been replaced.

Mark - do you have some photos you would be willing to share - I would love to see what the plant and fruit looks like in a successful garden!

Hi every one,

I'm back! I was out of home for over 50 days since mid July and wasn't able to witness the peak season of my tomatoes. This was how my Big Beef looked like on July 20 before I left home.

Hubby didn't take care of my garden when I was absent, so when I came back, the tomato plants were kinda of a big mess. Some of the plants are dying with lots of yellow leaves. Many fruits are rotten on the tree or eaten by chipmunks. However, I'm still able to pick some good ones for my own enjoyment. Here is the mix of Parker's Whopper, Brandwine Pink and Big Beef.

The largest Big Beef I have in this batch was almost 15 oz. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the largest one it produced, just couldn't verify. I grow Big Beef and Park's Whopper side by side, I can tell that Big Beef outperform the Park's Whopper with bigger and more fruits. I will definitely grow Big Beef next year. By the way, the taste is very good too.

I think you must be glad to be back. Good job! I am about to leave for two weeks, and you'd think I was leaving infants behind!

Our 2nd crop of Big Beef is doing great! I wished they had the Heirloom Taste!! They taste good but not like an Heirloom - IMO.

Are those plastic tomatoes Hudson? They look too perfect to be real :)

LoneJack - Haha - thanks for the compliment - I have the advantage of a closed climate controlled GH. When I do my job properly (watering, fertilizer, etc.) I have a good chance of a great outcome. I don't show you the bad ones though :)

Here are a few more plastic tomatoes - haha

I picked a BIg Beef today. My season is about ended with my plants still ripening a couple of tomatoes every few days. Big Beef tomatoes look nice but haven't been as good tasting as my other varieties. I will not plant Big Beef again.

I agree Hennepin !

Fun to see what others are growing! I grew Big Beef this year. I picked this before a storm came in. 1 lb. 5oz. (594 kg)

Sandyslopes - what did you think of the flavor? Compared to other varieties you grow?

Of the ones I've eaten from this one plant, I've really liked the flavor. It's mild but with a nice tomato taste. A little on the sweet side. And this one was juicy and made some big, beautiful slices for sandwiches. They do have a lot of "meat" in the middle, but it's tender enough. I'd grow it again.

I've been growing for many years but having a small vegetable garden I don't get to try that many varieties, so I really haven't tried that many different kinds of the large tomatoes to compare it with. I do get some good ideas here for what I might want to try next.

sandyslopes - we don't really grow that far apart geographically although we are at a higher elevation and we can only grow tomatoes successfully in a GH. Have you ever tried Brandy Boy Hybrid? We grow Brandy Boy for taste and also because it is very prolific. It is still a Burpee exclusive so you have to get seeds through Burpee or Burpee's outlets. If you like the good old heirloom tomato tangy taste (not sweet) - you may want to try the variety. Here is a link/thread for you to review if you are interested.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2215241/brandy-boy-awesome-variety?n=77

Just went through that thread. Brandy Boy sounds like a good one to try, so it goes on my list. I've tried Brandywine, but IIRC, I didn't get all that many of them. Not that I need a ton of tomatoes, but with such a short season I want to feel rewarded for all the effort that goes into a vegetable garden. :-)

I thought it worth mentioning that my only Big Beef that is not dying was sprayed several times with 25 ppm forchlorfenuron:

http://www.general-cathexis.com/images/BigBeef1-10-8-16.jpg

I doubt that any of the tomatoes will turn red before frost, but, if they do, I will post.