Kestrel

[shirlton]

Tried the Kestrel we had grown for the first time yesterday and really wasn't impressed. I thought thy were a waxy potato like Nadine but when steamed the outsides were floury and the inside raw. Hope the PFA are going to be godd cos tehy are first time for us.

[shirlton]

[pumkinlover]

I love Kestrel, but I like to cut all potatoes lengthways in wedges so that they cook quicker.

[shirlton]

Have found a good home for them with someone who likes chips ;D

[davejg]

I grew them for the first time this year. found they had a great taste boiled, they grew very large though, so steaming wasn't an option great as wedges as well. They avoided blight somehow to.

[cornykev]

Great chips and jacket spuds, can't believe Shirl is dissing my favourite spud.   :P   ;)

[shirlton]

We don't eat chips and we dont roast potatoes so that just leaves baked and there are too many for us. Added to that I much prefer Nadine .Well we have to try the PFA yet Kev ;D

[pumkinlover]

Great chips and jacket spuds, can't believe Shirl is dissing my favourite spud.   :P   ;)

It's our favorite too Kev, we find it so good for every thing! Don't take it personally though! ;)
I love those little purple smiley shapes on the side.
Unfortunatly we were given the wrong variety at potato day so I haven't got any this year :-[

[Flighty]

They're my favourites too, along with Charlottes.
I've been digging both up last week and they're okay but smaller than usual, and fewer of them, which is not surprising this year.

[Paulh]

We like them, boiled and roasted. They seem to have slug resistance and mature ahead of blight striking. But this ear several of the bigger ones are going rotten in the middle, so whether any will store I don't know.

[grawrc]

Kestrel is my old dependable. It never fails and doesn't seem to have the problems other spuds do. I've planted Nadine too this year - on Shirl's recommendation - so will hopefully be in a position to compare them.

[shirlton]

Kestrel is my old dependable. It never fails and doesn't seem to have the problems other spuds do. I've planted Nadine too this year - on Shirl's recommendation - so will hopefully be in a position to compare them.

You can try them now you know. They are a second early but we didn't plant any earlies this year so have been eating the Nadine. I know that you will like them

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

My absolute favourites too, never been disappointed with texture or flavour. We use them in every way but when roasted and baked they are superb!

[banksy]

We grew two rows of Kestrel this, our first, year and we are very impressed, got most out before blight hit - and some are enormous and will make excellent bakers.  We have only eaten them boiled but love them and cant wait to roast some.

We also grew Rocket this year - completely slug infested and not much flavour to boot  :(

Next year we will forego the first earlies in favour of more Kestrel, which is not a problem for us as for some odd reason the time of year first earlies are ready we are kind of 'off spuds' if that makes sense?

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

I did exactly that this year, Banksy, replaced earlies with another row of Kestrel - a lovely spud. I have 3 rows of Cara left now and keeping fingers crossed I miss the blight, last year I lost half of my crop plus a row of toms - I was gutted.

[staris]

my earlies were not good this year (rocket) i lost about half to wire worm damage, my kestrels are fine i've tried lots of different potatoes but kestrel always are my main crop, they seem fairly resistant to wire worm and since we seem to get blight every year at around this time i prefer second earlies.