5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

‘Tis the season to be canning. The act of "putting up" preserves those summer days past of peaches, tomatoes and strawberries, as well as fall favorites of cranberry and quince long into the impending wintry months.

If anyone knows a thing or two about jamming, it's Rachel Saunders. Saunders is the author of The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, and founder of Blue Chair Fruit - her Oakland-based company that makes jams and marmalades from produce sourced from local organic farmers.

She's found her way into the 5@5 hot seat and is ready to jam out.

Top Five Tips for Jamming: Rachel Saunders

1. Always use a wide nonreactive pan
"When you cook jam or marmalade, one of the main things you are doing is cooking excess moisture out of the mixture. This, along with the sugar and pectin in the mixture, is a major part of what enables the jam to thicken as it cools.

If you have a pan that is not wide enough, your mixture will be too deep and will have to cook much longer in order to lose the requisite amount of moisture. This leads to an overcooked flavor. A wide pan, on the other hand, allows a maximum of evaporation to happen in a minimum of time, keeping the bright flavor of the fruit intact.

My favorite pan is the 11.5-quart Mauviel hammered copper jam pan from France. Its sloping high sides and extremely even heat distribution make it perfect for jam making."

2. Always make a small batch
"This goes along with using a wide nonreactive pan; if your batch is too big, you will have to cook the jam for a very long time in order for the necessary amount of moisture to cook out. One of the best ways to keep the beautiful fresh flavor of fruit is to make small batches at a time; this also allows you to tweak your technique and recipes and reduces the risk of a huge batch that hasn't turned out quite right. It also makes for more variety in your pantry."

3. Always make your flavor adjustments to the room temperature mixture before the final cooking
"Adding your lemon juice and other flavorings at that time helps ensure a balanced flavor in the finished product. The way we perceive flavors changes a lot with temperature, so jam tends to taste quite different when it's hot. When hot, jam tastes simultaneously sweeter and more acidic than it does at room temperature. Tasting your jam mixture at room temperature before you start cooking it is, therefore, the most accurate way of assessing whether it needs more lemon juice or other flavorings. To add lemon juice, stir well to be sure your sugar is dissolved. Then, gradually stir in lemon juice, tasting as you go, until you can just discern the flavor of lemon in the mixture."

4. Always use perfectly ripe fruit; it has the best flavor!
"Although under ripe fruit has the reputation of having more pectin, I believe that the most important thing in any jam is flavor – and under ripe fruit tends to taste under ripe. Perfectly ripe fruit has the perfect amount of pectin and also has the best flavor. Organic local fruit is always best, as it imparts no chemical flavors to the jam. Locally grown fruit is also in season and at the peak of its flavor. If you can, try to taste your fruit before purchasing. The fruit should always be picked ripe. Picking it yourself makes it even more extra-special!"

5. Always measure your fruit and sugar by weight
"Weight is much more exact than volume and will help you ensure success. Saying 'five cups of peach wedges' gives you a lot of room for inexactitude, whereas '5 pounds of peach wedges' does not. At Blue Chair Fruit, we measure everything by weight and get consistently great results."

Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.