Fayetteville is nuts about this jerky shop's candy apples. What makes them so delicious?
Uncle Zip’s Beef Jerky has sold dried meat since it opened a quarter century ago, but recently, the Hope Mills shop has become known for a sweet treat.
Owner Jeff Harris said he sells dozens of house-made candy apples on a typical day. He dips Granny Smith apples in caramel, then chocolate or white chocolate and smothers them in a coating of cookie crumbles, s’mores or pretzels. He chops the candy apples into thin slices to order.
There are four flavors: apple pie, Oreo, s’mores and strawberry shortcake. Customers in the know order the chocolate pretzel-dipped apple off the secret menu, Harris, 55, said Wednesday.
A 10-ounce portion is $6.99; a medium is $9.99 and a large is $14.99. For another dollar, you can get a dipping cup of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or caramel sauce — not that the dressed-up apples need it.
Locals sing the praises of Uncle Zip’s candy apples in the Fayetteville Foodies Facebook group and on Yelp. People from as far as Sanford, Lumberton and St. Pauls visit to try the treats — and often, their first trip to the shop isn’t their last, Harris said.
His apples are especially popular for game day potlucks, Valentine’s Day, baby showers and weddings, he said.
Jerky shop has deep roots in Hope Mills
Harris’s childhood friend Ken Howell started the business in 1999 on Trade Street, using a jerky recipe from his father, Bill “Zip” Howell. The younger Howell died of cancer at age 45 in 2014, and Harris took over the shop.
About four years ago, Harris moved Uncle Zip’s to its current location in the Dogwood Plaza on North Main Street in Hope Mills. The shop also stocks North Carolina-made chips, popcorn, hot sauce and ginger ale.
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Around the same time, his daughter, Jenna Harris, 22, began making candy apples. Jeff Harris said she tested 10 varieties of caramel before settling on a proprietary mix and is the culinary mind behind the gourmet apple flavors that now have a cult following in the Fayetteville area.
Almost immediately, the apples’ popularity soared.
“It just took off,” Harris said.
His daughter has since moved to Atlanta, but the apples continue to sell out so quickly that Harris struggles to keep them in stock.
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Next, he hopes to set up online ordering for pickup or delivery, develop more rotating seasonal flavors, and even open another Uncle Zip’s location.
Most of all, he wants his daughter to join him once again at the shop.
“She’s really good in the kitchen,” he said. “I’d love to have her here.”
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com or on Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Hope Mills, NC shop Uncle Zip's Beef Jerky is known for candy apples
