 Because they were scarce and expensive, by the turn of the century American producers were experimenting with other processes for preserving cherries, with flavors such as almond extract and substitute fruit like Queen Anne cherries.Among these, alcohol was already becoming less common.In response, the USDA in 1912 defined "maraschino cherries" as "Marasca cherries preserved in maraschino" under the authority of the Food and Drugs Act of 1906.