Big Tomatoes

There are big tomatoes, small tomatoes and many sizes in between.  If growing big, juicy tomatoes are what you want from your garden, then you will need to pick a variety that will produce the fruit you are looking for. If you want to learn how to Grow tomatoes check Sue’s latest book on Advanced Tomato Growing Secrets.

Deciding on what type of Big Tomatoes you Want

Once you have decided you want big tomatoes, you will need to decide what type you want.  Do you want a disease resistant hybrid or would you prefer an heirloom and save the seeds for next year?  Big tomatoes come in all sorts of colors from green, yellow, orange, red, purple and even white or black.  They can in different degrees of sweetness.  The trick is to find one you like.

Striped Beefsteak Tomato: 'Northern Lights'

Beefsteak tomatoes are popular big tomato varieties.  Brandywine is a favorite for a big tomato in the heirloom category.  Find the kind you like and if it is an heirloom variety, you can save the seeds.  If not, then you will at least know what variety to look for next year.  If you buy a package of hybrid seeds, you can start them on your own.

Do Big Tomatoes Ripen well?

Big tomatoes generally take longer to mature and ripen.  They also don’t generally have as big of a yield.  They usually aren’t grown for canning, but rather for making great sandwiches and wonderful sliced tomato dishes.  For me and my garden, a big beefsteak has but one very important purpose… to fulfill the ultimate BLT sandwich.  There is nothing better in my book than a big, juicy garden fresh tomato married in my sandwich with crispy bacon and crunchy lettuce.  Hmmmm…. I can’t wait for my big tomatoes to ripen!