Monster Maters?

The Beefmasters are getting scary

They are huge! but how do they taste?

camprn wrote:They are huge! but how do they taste?

 Not sure yet, not quite ripe enough. Can't wait to try them though.

I'm having the same with the Beefsteak & a few Supersonics.  They are amazingly huge!  I know the Supersonic will taste delish, but not sure about the Beefsteak since I've never grown them before.  Mine are this big . 

Besides the MM, there must be something about our New England weather that they are liking this year...  

CC

The tomatoes are huge!  

This Brandywine is about 4 1/2 to 5" wide at it's widest point, hard to hold a tape and take a pic, at least for me lol!! Not as big as yours though! nice one! My Brandywine in the front yard is loaded with tomatoes! I stopped counting at 65 this am!!  

Southern Gardener,
The Brandywine looks wonderful, sounds like you are having a really great year for tomatoes.

CC,
My Beefsteak are happy too, but not like the Beefmasters. I have never tried the Supersonics. Will have to broaden my horizons for next year. I keep hearing good things about Brandywine and Supersonic. Must try new things!

Well I picked Big Red tonight. Didn't want to chance losing it. It's in the refrigerator now, chilling out for sandwiches. We'll know how it tastes tomorrow night. It weighed in at 1lb. 11oz.

Very Nice!!   Imagine if they all grew that size  
 
My largest one from last year was a little smaller at 1# 5 oz.
 
 https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/gallery/Personal-album-of-llama-momma/Mortgage-Lifter-tomato-Aug-5-2012-pic_3273.htm

NO! Tomatoes should never go in the fridge.
http://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-the-best-place-to-61344

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/dont-refrigerate-these_n_1335168.html#s770836&title=Tomatoes

http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-storing-tomatoes.htm

Camprn, You are sooo right! I have to admit I have always kept my tomatoes in the fridge and most of my fruit too because I like them cold. I know it is not what you are supposed to do but it's how I liked mine. But it was store bought stuff and so I didn't figure it was hurting them much anyway because no matter where I put them they were never going to taste anything close to fresh out of the garden like I grew up eating at my grandma's.

But that being said since I started gardening (or when I have farmers market produce) I am more careful about that because I don't want to lose any of the great taste, texture and vitamins that I am gaining by having "real" produce. So my compromise, because I do really like my tomatoes a little chilled, I now store them on the counter and put one in the fridge just long enough to chill it a little right before I eat it...maybe like an hour. Don't want it too cold though cause food has more flavor at room temperature than it does when cold or hot.

WOW!! Awesome looking tomatoes!  

Alas, poor Beefmaster, he is no more!

The votes are in and the monster mater (Beefmaster) won the taste test against an average sized Beefsteak. It was sweeter and meatier. We eat them sliced as a side dish or on toasted bread with a little mayo. Either way it makes a nice big thick slice. Yummy!

NICE! Are there more coming along on that plant?

camprn wrote:NICE! Are there more coming along on that plant?

Yes Camprn and 3 more plants like it. Not nearly as big though. I will try to save some seeds for next year. Have to go back and reread tomato seed saving procedure.

llama momma that is one Bee U T Full mater.

Picked three more Beefmasters today. They are averaging about 1 pound each.

 

boy...those are some nice ones lyndeeloo ! congrats!!

My mouth is watering and I am longing for my tomatoes to be ready. Last year by this time I already had some ripe. This is a strange year and they are really pokey.

Great to see your tomatoes. They are beautiful.

Hi folks,
Here is a question for all you lucky ones who grow the beeeg tomatos.
How deep is your soil?
Thanks,
Steve

Hey Esteban, my bed where the one big tomato grew was in 6" of soil, but I only got the one big one. We have a bed out front with the same variety of tomato (Brandywine), that's in about 2 1/2 feet of "regular" soil and it has close to 90 beautiful tomatoes on it. Not sure they're all gonna be biiiiiiiiiig ones, but they are nice looking so far. The plant is about 5' across and there's a cluster of 4-6 tomatoes on each stem about every foot. I counted 18 clusters a few minutes ago. It looks like one of the vines is going to crack from all the fruit on it I hope it survives!! Good luck with your maters!!

SG, you are definitely doing something right, congradulations.
My only 'maters are in dirt.  The plants look great, full of tomatoes, but with one or two exceptions, they are all very small.  Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Black Krum. Big Boy and Better Boy.
Next year, I plan on putting them in SF boxes.
Thanks for the reply.
Steve

I think that a lot of times when planting the same variety as last year, one becomes a bit upset because the first year was better.

There can be many things that can be attributed to that: too hot, too cool, too dry, too wet, planting in the same place as last year, compost is lacking something, plants weren't ready to be transplanted because of size and/or soil temperature.

My largest brandywine last year was 1.77 pounds. This year I doubt that it will happen. We have had a very weird year here. Late spring, sudden heat wave that just about fried everything and now we are in a cool down.

Having been raised on a farm, I can tell you that it's a gamble. Whatever happens, happens.

My SFG is six inches deep, 4x4 box. I planted the tomatoes towards the center, 4 in a row. They have plenty of room to spread out and climb up the trellis. My Beefmasters are the largest, with the Beefsteaks running a close second. The tomatoes are doing better in the Mel's Mix than my traditional garden.

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate each and every one of them.
Lyndeeloo:  I foot spacing on indet. tomatoes sounds very close to me, please keep me posted how that works later in the season.

Steve

Esteban wrote:
Lyndeeloo:  I foot spacing on indet. tomatoes sounds very close to me, please keep me posted how that works later in the season.

Steve

 I have 8 Beefsteak and 4 Beefmasters running down the center of 3 consecutive boxes. They are all producing large, abundant fruit, still growing taller and producing more blossoms. I don't have the heart to cut the tops on them. They range from 5'+ up to slightly over 7' tall. They all seem very happy crowded together. I have trimmed the lower leaves off to allow for circulation. The only thing I have added to the Mel's Mix was 2 side dressings of alfalfa pellets.

Lyndeeloo, that's wonderful...congratulations.

Steve