IMPE, Winter-grown tomatoes never have the same oomph of those grown in warmer seasons.

Of course, variety is a big factor, but I find that so many other factors seem to affect taste as well: too much water, soil types, amount of sunshine - even proximity to other plants. Tomatoes I grew near papayas had a real funny taste, for instance...

Hi Girl!

Your subject line made me giggle. Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I can say that my roma's are kind of lacking in flavor this season as well. If I had that many I would roast or dehydrate them, it always brings out more flavor.

This year is my first year with sweet baby girls and we are also loving them.

What else did you grow? I have 7 tomato plants; the roma, a sweet baby girl, a yellow pear, a black cherry, 2 florida 47's, and a nappa cherry. Oh and there are volunteers from the chickens popping up here and there but no ripe fruit on those yet.

Hi Robin! I have a beefmaster that is to die for...it grows the most beautiful tomatoes. I also have a neptune and a creole that I love. Then I have the VFN something hybrid that is just average. The taste of the sweet babies spoils me from other tomatoes I am afraid!

I have grown Romas several times - in ground and in containers. Up here we grow them in the spring, not over winter, so there is plenty of heat when they are ripening. They are still blah. They don't taste bad, but they don't have much flavor. After they have cooked down into a nice thick sauce so the flavor gets concentrated they are fine. But I don't like Romas in salsa, cut up in a salad or to eat it straight. May as well buy the cardboard tomatoes from the grocery store.

I am going to be growing Amish Paste this year and hope it has more flavor. If not, there's always sauce and now I have a dehydrator so I can try drying them, too.

Hi Tina,

You moved into the buckets this year, right? Be careful with the water, if you over-water them the maters will be bland....

Tom

I tried dehydrating them last night. I have a cold..so maybe taste buds are off...but they are still not tasting great but a little sour and a tiny bitter. I just don't like them.

Tom your beefmasters are the most beautiful tomatoes in the garden. I put one in a bucket with a hole in the bottom and I put it in the veg bed beside the bean trellis as I was out of room. The roots went through the bucket into the bed and that plant is FAB! It is huge and covered with the most beautiful fruit! I am in love! They taste good and aren't too watery. Maybe that is what I should use for sauce and salsa.