Hrudka (Easter Cheese)
Hrudka, a beloved cheese from my Slovakian heritage. It simply wouldn’t be Easter without it.
Hrudka is a traditional cheese that holds a special place in the hearts and taste buds of many Slovakians. Made from a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar and salt, this simple cheese has a unique flavor and texture that has been enjoyed for generations. For those with Slovakian heritage, Hrudka is an important part of Easter celebrations, with many families passing down their own recipes and techniques for making the perfect cheese. Whether enjoyed on its own as a snack or used in other Easter dishes, Hrudka is a beloved cheese that brings a sense of tradition and community to the holiday season.
Hrudka
12 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
½ tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
Cheesecloth
Butcher’s twine
In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend until everything is incorporated, the mixture should be a bit frothy on top. Put your egg mixture in a double boiler and set the stove to medium high heat. With a rubber spatula stir the mixture constantly until curds start to develop. Before your curds develop you will notice your egg mixture become very thick, almost like the consistency of heavy cream. Cook until the milk looks watery and no more curds seem to be developing, the cooking process takes about 20-30 minutes.
Get a large bowl that could easily have a colander sit inside. Place a layer of cheesecloth over the colander and make sure the ends of the cloth hang generously over the sides. If you have a thinner cheese cloth put an additional layer of cheesecloth in the colander.
Ladle your curds and whey into the cheesecloth and gather the ends of the cheesecloth to start to form a ball. Wring out the liquid from the ball by pressing the ball and twisting the ends of the cheesecloth. The trick is to get out as much liquid as possible. Be careful the curds will still be warm and it could be hard to handle. I will start twisting and pressing the curds while they are still hot, then I take a small break until it cools slightly to finish pressing and twisting the ball.
Twist and tie the ends together with a long strand of butcher’s twine, use the ends of the twine to hang the cheeseball. Suspend the ball over the colander lined pot to collect any more liquid that drips from the ball. You want to make sure it’s hanging high enough to not be sitting in any excess liquid. I hang mine on the handles of my cupboards, see picture for reference.
Hang the cheese ball until it is completely cooled for about an hour. Place the ball still wrapped in the cheesecloth in the fridge overnight. The next day unwrap, slice and enjoy your Hrudka! It’s great on ham sandwiches. I personally like it with a piece of toasted Paska bread and Kielbasa.
To store, tightly wrap the cheese ball in cling wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
*Notes: Don’t throw out the liquid that comes from the Hrudka! That liquid could be used in place of the milk in any of your homemade bread recipes. It’s especially good when you use it for Paska bread. Just store the liquid in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I wouldn’t leave it in the fridge longer than a day or two however.
For the double boiler, I used a large pot filled almost halfway with water and placed a large mixing bowl to sit snuggly in the pot.
Make sure that your cheesecloth hangs over the edges of your colander. You want to make sure you have enough fabric to surround the cheese ball and tie it together.