Canned tomatoes will never inspire the rapture that a plump, fresh-from-the-garden beauty can. But it’s winter, and the artificially ripened numbers in the supermarket aren’t bringing us much joy either.

So we went in search of the tastiest variety of diced tomatoes, prompted in part by Muir Glen’s new “reserve” line, a limited-edition collection of products made from Meridian Ruby tomatoes grown in California. The reserve products come packaged as a kit, which also includes tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle-seasoned diced tomatoes. (As of press time, kits were still available at muirglen.com, a spokeswoman said.)

Our five-member panel tasted six varieties of diced tomatoes, all containing the same ingredients: tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, citric acid and calcium chloride. We noted the tomato-to-juice ratio, the color and texture of the tomatoes and, of course, the overall taste and aroma.

The consensus? It’s surprising how the same five ingredients can taste so wildly different, depending on who is canning them. Subsequent bites of the same brand tasted different as well, leading us to conclude that the quality of tomatoes might vary even within the same can.

Trader Joe’s organic variety ($1.89 for 28 ounces) won handily, averaging a 6.2 out of 9 possible points. Red Gold came in second with 5.8 points. The Muir Glen Meridian Ruby placed last among our tasters, scoring a 4 and garnering such comments as “salty and bland” and “tastes like floor cleaner.” One lone tester, though, gave it top ranking among the six, assigning it a score of 7 and calling it “rich, tangy, almost marinara-like.” You say tomato, I say floor cleaner.

The results

1. Trader Joe’s Diced in Tomato Juice (6.2 points. 28 ounces. $1.89; 7 cents per ounce): “Not too acidic. Straightforward tomato flavor.” “Some tang, not too salty.” “Slight sweetness.” “Deep red.”

2. Red Gold Diced Tomatoes (5.8 points. 14.5 ounces. $1.89; 13 cents per ounce): “Tangy, fresh tomato taste.” “Low acidity, rather plain with a mushroom flavor.”

3. Del Monte Diced Tomatoes (5.4 points. 14.5 ounces. $1.89; 13 cents per ounce): “Neutral taste; would blend well into a recipe.” “Good tomato flavor with some acidity.”

Also tasted:

4. O Organics Diced Tomatoes (4.8 points. 14.5 ounces. $1.99; 14 cents per ounce)

5. Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes (4.4 points. 14.5 ounces. $2.59; 18 cents per ounce)

6. Muir Glen Organic Meridian Ruby Diced Tomatoes (4 points. 14.5 ounces. Sold as part of $8 kit)