My tomatoes taste different every year

[zipcode]

I think it has largely to do with fruitset. The more fruitset on the plant the taste goes down (or better said fruit mass vs leaf area). And we know same variety can set more or less well depending on this and that.
I agree with BigVanVader that cherry tomatoes will act more predictable, but they usually have a poor fruit/leaf area ratio, so they may be under the threshold. Or maybe you are just imagining they got the exact same fertilizer dosage. Nutrition is a very important factor in reaching the taste potential. I think people growing hydro have a much lower variation. Me, in mostly organic pots have some variation but mostly from month to month, and usually can reach same taste expected of the variety at some point or another during the year (usually at the first batches of fruit, when plants are at their healthiest, but sometimes also at the end of the season, when fruitset is poor).

[BigVanVader]

I don't really fertilize my cherry tomatoes, maybe once but I tend to not waste it on them b/c they don't seem to perform much differently. One reason the taste seems to stay the same year after year for me is likely b/c I of my tendency to ignore them. I don't even irrigate the row they are in. The longer I grow tomatoes the more I think it really is better to just plant them and let them go. I may also try some salt treatments next year on my beefsteaks for improved flavor. http://njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/docum...tosalt2009.pdf

[zipcode]

46 grams of salt per plant? Hm, sounds quite a bit to me for some reason. I would try it on a few plants only since you're growing in soil.
If virgin land tomatoes taste better means there is a limiting factor in the soil, which the fertilizer does not contain. Most likely the micronutrients or either Ca or Mg (depending on the type of soil). I assume you are growing in a greenhouse (aka no rain) so you have a decent control over how much water plants get, there is no reason not to get really good taste. A good soil analysis would probably clear a lot of things up.
If you are organic a high K fertilizer is hard to come by, probably molasses or some seaweed based stuff, maybe a good compost. I know in my garden many years ago wood ashes had a dramatic effect on taste (high in K and Ca), my soil was heavy clay so most likely rich in Mg (of course, it's not to be used too much due to very high pH).

[BigVanVader]

My soil test showed all nutrient levels excessive and I ammend yearly with compost and manure. I think the issue is sulfur and possibly salt. So many factors are involved growing in ground who knows. The old timers here say to use gypsum and dolomite every year although that goes against conventional wisdom. My uncle does this and he has huge harvest of tomatoes with good flavor. Unfortunately he grows acidic red hybrids so its hard for me to say if they taste better than typical. If things work out I will trial the salt method and report my results.

[Urbanheirlooms]

Originally Posted by imp

There are a lot of factors that play into tastes of tomatoes, and other veg too, many mentioned in this thread; one of the most important is the person eating that tomato ( or veg).

Your health, what else has been eaten before the tomato and how long before, smoker or not, and also the cycle point your taste buds are at, point of ripeness, warm/cold/room temp, any additions such as salt or ?, if the tomato is attractive looking to you, your emotional state, and of course, the best sauce of all ( as the French say) if you are hungry, are variables.

I happen to agree with IMP. Foods that once tasted good to me several years ago do not taste as good to me as I age. On the other hand, there are many foods that I did not like when i was younger that I simply love now.