A couple of folks list it in the SSE Yearbook.

The person in NY says 85 days and the person from OK doesn't say.

Indet, RL, large red beefsteaks, one says 8-14 oz the other just says quite large, one says excellent taste the other says good taste. Seeds for both listers originated with LW in PA and is originally from LW's Aunt Lil in IL and LW has been growing it for the past 15 years or so.

That's Lil's Favorite.

Carolyn

Carolyn

Carolyn has it pretty much right, I'll just expand a bit.

I received the seeds from my Aunt Lil when she came out to PA for a Christmas visit in about 1985. She was 77 at the time and passed away in 2002. She told me they were her favorite tomato and that she had gotten them from Mrs Smith who lived in Briar Hill, which was just next to Signal Hill where my aunt lived in St. Clair County, Illinois.

Mrs Smith told Aunt Lil that her mother had given the seeds to her, and the family had been growing them around Chester, Illinois for many many years. I remember the Smith family as their son, Richard, was the janitor/boiler operator/general Mr. Fixit for my grade school. I am 74 years old these days!

Ok, what about the tomato. Well, I rate it as 78 DTM.
It is regular leaf and indeterminate. The plants grow extremely large and seem to survive whatever wants at them
including blights, etc. Sure, they will show distress but they just hang in there and give a good yield. The fruits
produced are red beefsteaks, generally very regularly shaped, but they set often enough that I just pluck off any distorted ones to let the energy go into the nicer ones.
I have had them as big as 20 ounces but pretty consistently
they will do 12 to 18 ounces. Overall yields are very good and the taste is full and slightly acidic.

If the seeds you have are my "Lil's Favorite" you have a good one there! Just be sure and use a very heavy big stake for it, like a 2"x2" by 5 to 6 ft tall. I also suggest you train to 3 leaders max as the plants can get too
large and bushy otherwise.

Larry (LW)

Thank you both for the info. Larry thank you so much for the back ground info on your Aunt & how she got the seeds as well.

Becky

Larry, thanks for posting. As you can see I didn't post ALL the history info that both SSE listers did, so thanks for chiming in.

Carolyn

Over the years I have traded Lil's Favorite seeds pretty broadly through the states, to Australia, and also to Germany and the UK. No one has ever told me that they were disappointed with the variety, and many non seed saving local friends have asked for more in following years. I would like to see it get a bit more attention and would hope more gardeners would enjoy it.

There are certainly a number of very excellent old time open pollinated beefsteaks. The 4 best I have found for
regular year to year performance, general hardiness, and tasty regularly shaped fruits are (in no particular order)
Lil's Favorite, Old Virginia, Red Barn, and Eli Red. Remember, my experience is all in Zone 6 but I think it would be pretty much the same in decent ground in 5 through 7. Folks, if you can get your hands on good seed for the above varieties, and you enjoy the look and taste of 1st class red beefsteaks, you would do very well! I wish I could offer it but I only have 20 t0 30 seeds of each in inventory-enough for self, family, and friends.

Larry

Larry more people would grow it if Tania had a better write up on it on her tomato base. I also got seeds labeled Lil's favorite in the swap. I looked it up and she evidently tried to grow it but got the wrong seeds. I have been looking for your Mr. Brown ever since you mentioned that one. I wish you would distribute some of those.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tatiana's Tomato Base

There are two places offering Mr. Brown for 2014.

Please see the link below.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Mr. Brown

Thank you. I'm sorry Carolyn. Larry's tomato is Mr. Brown's not Mr. Brown. I was confused about the name.