Jam and jelly maker preserves tradition at Ocean Pines Farmers & Artisans Market

(May 9, 2022) Dora Kovacic’s award-winning jams and jellies have been a fixture of the Ocean Pines Farmers and Artisans Market for more than a decade, but her story goes back several generations.  

The inspiration for We Jam 4U started with Kovacic’s grandmother, Molly, who made her own jams and jellies. Her mother, Joanne, and sisters, Lisa and Debbie, also took up the trade.  

"As kids, we enjoyed picking local fruits and making jam with mama and, of course, eating them too,” Kovacic said. "Our business was born when my sister, Lisa, realized that her love for making jam from local fruits was providing her family and friends with more jam than they could possibly eat. So, mama suggested that she could sell it at the flea market." 

Kovacic, with her mother and sisters, became a regular vendor at farmers markets in Chincoteague and Onancock in Virginia. 

"Our dad, Danny, got in the act too,” Kovacic said. “When he played his trumpet at the markets, mama would say with a wink and a smile, ‘He’s got his way of jammin’ and I’ve got mine.’” 

Kovacic also brought the family business to the Ocean Pines Farmers & Artisans Market, putting her own creative spin on homemade jams, while preserving the tradition and authenticity of three generations.  

In addition to single fruit flavors like blackberry jam and tangerine marmalade, Kovacic creates unique flavor combinations like black forest and French apple.  

In May, when strawberries are abundant in the fields of local farms, Kovacic’s home kitchen is filled with the scent of those berries being cooked into sweet jam. 

We Jam 4U also offers marmalades, fruit butters, and fruit and pepper jellies. 

The small batch fruit and pepper jellies are made from ingredients sourced from local growers. Sweet, with just the right amount of heat, the pepper jellies add an element of surprise to a cheese plate, a main dish, or even a cocktail. 

Kovacic and her family are proud to have won many ribbons at local fairs, including first prize for their blueberry jam, but she said the best reward is returning customers.  

"Our best prize ever is the sight of our loyal and super-satisfied customers who seek us out year after year at the farmers market," she said. 

Market Manager David Bean said the proof of We Jam 4U’s success is in the quality of their products. 

"Dora's jams and jellies will make your PB&Js or morning toast better than you ever thought they could be,” he said.  

We Jam 4U can be found at the Ocean Pines Farmers & Artisans Market year-round on Saturday mornings. 

The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in White Horse Park. 

For more information, visit www.oceanpines.org/web/pages/farmers-artisans-market.