Omars Lebanese... but is many times too big for the bread!

Stump of the World
Earl's Faux
Cuostralee
Neves Azorean Red
Dr. Lyle

IMHO I'd go with Beefmaster. Huge, sweet, juicy and thin skinned slicers. Also make a wonderful tomato sauce with few seeds to filter out. Yesterday I picked a 1 1/2 pounder from a plant I grew from a sucker that was just jammed into the ground and it took off. Very hardy, those.

Neves Azorean Red
Aunt Gertie's Gold
Cuostralee
Zogola
Omar's lebanese
Large Pink Bulgarian
Aker's West Virginia
Cherokee Green
Lucky Cross
Tidwell German

.......for starters, and most of the above grow quite large, as you requested.

Carolyn

You don't say that you prefer open-pollinated tomatoes, but among the hybrids, Brandy Boy or Big Beef produce very tasty large tomatoes. Of all the large hybrids I've grown, these two would be my highest recommendations for size and taste.

Below is a list of beefsteak tomatoes offered by one company -- three pages worth! -- and your mouth will water. In your zone, I think I'd aim for large tomatoes with shorter growing periods so you have more time to harvest and enjoy them.

Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Growers Supply

send me your address and I will send you a few seeds of my favorite beefsteaks.

Everyone assumes Mortgage Lifters are for more southern climates, but when we lived in Saginaw my Dad grew some whoppers. They are pink rather than red, but make a wonderful BLT.

Wow, thanks everyone! And a big thanks to you, tomatogreenthumb, for your offer. I'd love some seeds! I can send you some of my mystery variety, if you like, and maybe you can figure them out. :-)

I'll look through these lists and see which are the most prolific and heartiest for zone 5. There are several I've never heard of, which is great. I'm always interested in trying a new plant.

-Mary

Tomatogreenthumb, I've updated my profile page so that you can send me an e-mail through it.

Thanks again!

-Mary

I try new varieties each season in my limited space, raised beds. This year, I found Burpee's Porterhouse to be a winner. Plant a few of these and a few Brandy Boys and you should be happy. Add a Kellogg's Breakfast or two and you will be in BLT heavan.

glad to hear that someone likes Porterhouse. my single plant of that variety gave three or four big tomatoes of inferior taste and shape. end of my experiment with them. lol largest was about 1 1/2 lbs. with most much smaller.

Porterhouse grew some huge tomatoes for me and quite a few of them. I had one that was over 6" across. I never weighed it, but I would estimate well over 2 lb. I thought they tasted pretty good, but I just tasted my first Earl's Faux (actually the second to ripen, as the first went for seed) and it is definitely the winner in my book. Pretty good size fruit also and the plant is LOADED. But obviously it is very late. I gave my buddy a plant also and he told me today how good those tomatoes were, but his is just ripening within the last week also. They will definitely be back next year.

Big Zac has been my best producer and most disease tolerant this year. I put in 2 plants and each should yield over 30lbs. of tomatoes by the time this season is over. The taste is very good as is the texture. Purely for taste I would suggest Polish. Decent yield and great taste. If you are going to use them on sandwiches or burgers, etc. Big Zac is a winner. Plain on a plate I'd take Polish.

HI Greentomatothumb
Lets exchange list to see if we can work a trade. I only want 6 seed,would give more in trade if you want more.email billrogers33@bellsouth.net let me know what you like best and where you grow toms. I`ll send my list when I get your e-mail address.
Thanks and GOD BLESS Bill