Cherries - Homemade Canned Maraschino Cherries

Next up, making homemade canned maraschino cherries! I had no idea what a process it was to make Maraschino cherries. I've been going off the recipe at http://homecooking.about.com/od/fruitrecipes/r/blfruit23.htm Day one: using 1 quart of water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt (notice I halved the water but not the pickling salt - I'm making a smaller batch about 2 small jars and figured the salt was important) bring to a boil, let cool, then pour over the halved & pitted cherries. Cover and let sit for 12 hours. Day 2: drain off the pickling brine (do not save). Set aside cherries in bowl. 2 cups water 3 cups sugar 1/3 cup lemon juice 4-6 drops red food coloring or until you've reached desire shade of red Mix all together, bring to a boil and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Pour over cherries in bowl. Cover (I put a plastic lid in the bowl to hold the cherries down in the water)and let sit for 24 hours. Day 3: Next, drain the juice and heat it in a pan on the stove to boiling. Mix in 1 tablespoon almond extract. Put the cherries in a jar and put the juice back in over the cherries and immediately waterbath can. My original two small jars turned into one small jar after my cherries all shrunk - I think I should have let cool the juice the first time around instead of pouring it hot on the cherries since that was when they shrank.