Just because a tomato is green it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unripe. The green beefsteak tomato has a unique flavor – a flavor that is tangy, tart, and sweet.

Green beefsteak tomatoes pair well with various other flavors and that pairing can result in something rather special ending up on your plate.

 

How to grow Aunt Ruby’s German Green Beefsteak tomato
Growing Aunt Ruby’s German Green Beefsteak tomato

 

 

The green beefsteak may be used for juicing, on artisan sandwiches, for dips, in salsas, and to make either hot or cold sauces. Also, these fruits can be eaten immediately after harvesting from the plant. How better to enjoy a delicious tomato!

Green beefsteak tomatoes are also good when used in baked dishes such as pies and in desserts. And for any recipe where Granny Smith apples are used, green beefsteak tomatoes are an excellent substitute.

Green beefsteak tomatoes, Aunt Ruby’s German Green being no different, are indeterminate. Indeterminate tomatoes are often called ‘vining’ tomatoes because their growing habit refers to the fact that they continue to grow upwards throughout the growing season. And until an indeterminate tomato plant is killed by frosts it will continue to set fruit.

You can read a full explanation of the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomato plant varieties.

 

 

About Aunt Ruby’s German Green Beefsteak Tomato

Aunt Ruby’s German Green is a tomato cultivar that originated in Greenville, Tennessee in 1979 (thanks to Ruby Arnold). The variety, which is an heirloom, originally comes from – you guessed it – Germany. Ruby Arnold’s relatives were in the habit of naming the tomato “Aunt Ruby’s tomato.” The name stuck.

The fruits will be ready to harvest around 80 days after transplanting. They – the fruits – are large and can weigh up to a pound – 454 grams.

Fortunately, Aunt Ruby’s German Green beefsteak is not only a big producer, it’s also fairly disease resistant.

At maturity, these beefsteak tomatoes have a light-green skin and many of them will have a slight hint of yellowness.

Do note that this tomato doesn’t tend to keep too well once it’s picked. Nevertheless, it’s well worth the effort to grow Aunt Ruby’s German Green beefsteak for its lovely coloring and its wonderful flavor.

 

 

How to Grow Aunt Ruby’s German Green Beefsteak Tomato Plants

Transplants of Aunt Ruby’s German Green beefsteak are difficult to come by. Seeds, though, are easy to find. Ideally, you should plant your seeds indoors approximately six weeks before the final springtime frosts have a tendency to arrive in your area.

If you are not using a greenhouse, place your tomato transplants in a sunny location.

The growing substrate should be rich and well-draining. If required, and if you are growing in garden soil, by all means, add some organic material to enrichen the soil.

Position the plants around 24 to 36 inches (60-90 cm) distant from one another. Provide the plants with some stakes or with cages so they continue to grow upright.

A good option for staking tomatoes is K-Brands tomato cages. Support provided by these cages is up to 72 inches. That’s high enough for indeterminate tomatoes such as Aunt Ruby’s Beefsteak.

 

K-Brands tomato stacking ladders - Champion tomato

K-Brands Tomato Cages

 

 

You’ll also need ties to attach your plants to stakes. These Velcro adjustable plant ties are reusable, gentle on the plant stem, and a great price.

best tomato support ties

Velcro Adjustable Gentle Tomato Plant Ties

 

 

Water your green beefsteak tomato plants frequently throughout the summer months, particularly when the weather is hot.

If you do plant in garden soil, add some mulch under the lowest-level leaves of each plant. This will help to reduce water splashing upwards and potentially carrying with it pests and/ or diseases.

Harvest the fruits when they are ripe. You’ll know when that is because the tomatoes will be plenty large, green in color (possibly with a tinge of yellow), and they will be a little on the soft side.

Because these tomatoes become really soft when they are left to over-ripen you should check frequently to ensure that no fruit is left on the plant after it is ripe.

 

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