Big Ben

General Info
Seed Availability

Big Ben
Maturity	midseason
Growth habit	indet.
Leaf type	regular
Fruit color	pink
Fruit shape	beefsteak
Fruit size	large
Fruit type	slicer
Variety type	commercial heirloom
Country	USA

Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2012-09-21.

B.C KO T

Indet., regular leaf, large pink slightly ribbed beefsteaks, some with radial cracking at the top. 10-16 oz. Very good flavor. (limited, 15 seeds / packet))

Seed source:

1. David Lemasters, Pennsylvania 09

2. Robert Hoser, Wolfratshausen, Germany 11 (wrong seeds, red beefsteak)

Year grown: 2012

Location: Zone 7b, PNW, Anmore, BC, Canada (760 ft above sea level)

IL LO N

85 days, indet., regular leaf, good yield of 1 lb pink beefsteak fruit, very good flavor.

Source: Gary Staley of Brandon, Florida (FL ST G) 05 / Raymond Mielke of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (WI MI R2)

Location: Oblong, Illinois

History

First offered commercially in 1976 by Big Tomato Gardens, Syracuse, Ohio, owned by Benjamin Franklin Quisenberry (1887-1986). In the early 80s Ben Quisenberry also offered this variety in a "Three Large Pinks" mixture package, along with Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine.
Ben Quisenberry said to have received the seed from his friend, Bob Dyke of Boonesboro, Kentucky, in 1967. Tomato gardeners who received this variety from Ben Quisenberry reported regular leaf plants (see [1]).
According to Amy Goldman, the Bob Dyke's seed was labelled Stump of the World, and Ben Quisenberry, who did not like the name, renamed it to Big Ben. If this story is true, and if the original Big Ben tomato was regular leaf then the question arises about the leaf type of Stump of the World, which is known today as a potato leaf variety.
Gary Staley of Brandon, Florida, from whom Neil Lockhart received the seeds, in his SSE listing, specifically states that this is a "true Big Ben" tomato, which came from Ben Quisenberry's collection, and it is described as regular leaf.
There are also a few variations or strain available at SSE:
- Big Ben No.1 (SSE TOMATO 329)
- Big Ben No.2 (SSE TOMATO 330)

See also

Picture Gallery

Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben (#1) - plant. 2012-06-28.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben (#1) - flower buds. 2012-06-28.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2012-09-21.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2012-09-21.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2012-09-29.
Patty Brown, Ohio. Big Ben - ripe fruit. September, 2009. Posted with owner's permission.
Ted Corbett, Germany. Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2010. Posted with owner's permission.
Ted Corbett, Germany. Big Ben - ripe fruit. 2010. Posted with owner's permission.
Ted Corbett, Germany. Big Ben - sliced fruit. 2010. Posted with owner's permission.
Ted Corbett, Germany. Big Ben - sliced fruit. 2010. Posted with owner's permission.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - sliced fruit. 2012-09-21.
Tatiana Kouchnareva (B.C KO T). Big Ben - sliced fruit. 2012-09-29.