For many years, the Census differentiated between Germans and Germans from Russia. While there were significant historical differences between the two groups, by the time I was doing the demographic work for South Dakota, the largest difference I could see was the menu. This recipe, for Plumemoos, a fruit soup served cold, is a hot weather dish passed to us from the Germans from Russia.
Plumemoos
2 qt water
1 c. sugar
1 c. seedless raisins
1 c. dried prunes
1 29-oz can of peaches
1 cinnamon stick
1 package red jello
1 qt. Purple grape juice
Cook dried fruit, sugar and cinnamon stick til fruit is tender. Add jello to hot soup and stir to dissolve – this will color and thicken the soup when it has cooled. When cooled, add grape juice to taste. Serve cold – a wonderful, soothing soup for a hot summer day.