Pit cherries over a bowl to capture all juices
Whisk together water, sugar, ClearJel and lemon juice in an 8 quart heavy preserving pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Add fruit and juices, bring to a rolling boil, and let boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Funnel the filling into warm jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to each jar, if using. Using a bubbler or plastic knife, remove any air bubbles. This also helps incorporate the extract.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids and rings on the jars, and finger-tighten the rings.
Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat but leave the jars in the canner for 10 minutes to prevent siphoning.