Edna's Beefy Sweety

Beefsteak tomato. A 2023 staff favorite! Indeterminate plants produce large, light purple, slightly flattened tomatoes. Fairly crack-resistant. Fruit borne in clusters of 2-6. Market mature fruit measure 2.3-3" long, 3.2-4.4" wide, and weigh 8.4-19.6oz. Solid interior, making it an excellent variety for slicing and canning. Purple flesh is very meaty and sweet with moderate juice. Texture is deliciously smooth. Very vigorous and moderately productive when grown in 2023 at Heritage farm. Mid-season maturing. Paul Francis, a tomato researcher at the University of Arkansas, got this variety from Edna Ballard (1935-2018) of Lake Wallace, AR. Initially, he thought it was “just another purple tomato”. However, after his first harvest, he realized he was onto something special. Paul explained that the variety has a unique and stable genetic makeup. Edna’s garden was on a secluded island in Lake Wallace, with no other tomato varieties grown within a 300 ft. radius during her over 30 years of stewardship. To honor Edna’s memory, Paul submitted seeds of Edna's tomatoes to SSE in 2020. SSE Accession # 133734