Fresh Basil at Goebbert’s Summer Farm Market
Every Saturday morning in July, a woman from Schaumburg shows up at Goebbert’s Summer Farm Market before we even finish setting up. She makes a beeline straight for our fresh basil. “I go through two bunches a week,” she told us. “Caprese salads, homemade pesto, pasta – my family expects fresh basil on everything now.” That’s the thing about really good fresh basil. Once you’ve had it straight from a farm market, that sad stuff in plastic clamshells at the grocery store just doesn’t cut it anymore.
At Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center in Barrington, our summer farm market features fresh basil harvested the same morning you buy it. We’re talking leaves that still smell incredible the moment you pick up the bunch. That aromatic punch? That’s what fresh basil is supposed to smell like.
Why Farm Market Fresh Basil is Different
Here’s something most people don’t realize. Basil starts losing flavor the moment it’s cut. Those grocery store packages? They’ve been sitting in cold storage and transport for days – sometimes over a week. By the time you get them home, half the essential oils that give basil its distinctive taste have already faded.
Our fresh basil goes from field to farm market stand in hours, not days. You can literally smell the difference. Customers from Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, and South Barrington tell us all the time – once they switched to farm market basil, they couldn’t go back to store-bought.
What Fresh Basil We Carry
Not all basil tastes the same. We typically have large leaf basil at our summer farm market, and Thai and Lemon Basil varieties to plant in spring. Each brings something different to your cooking.
Large Leaf Italian Basil
What most folks picture when they think basil. Big green leaves, that classic Italian aroma, perfect for pesto and caprese. This is our most popular variety by far.
Thai Basil
A completely different personality – more anise and licorice notes. If you make stir-fries, pho, or Thai curries, this is what you want. The purple stems look pretty too.
Lemon Basil
Adds bright citrus undertones. Amazing with fish, in summer drinks, or anywhere you want basil flavor with a lemony twist. A chef from Algonquin buys this specifically for his seafood dishes.
Availability varies throughout summer depending on what’s ready for harvest. Our staff can tell you what we’ve got fresh that week and suggest the best variety for whatever you’re making. Check out our summer farm market page for current hours and seasonal availability.
How to Store Fresh Basil at Home
Never put fresh basil in the refrigerator. This is the number one mistake people make. Cold temperatures turn basil leaves black almost overnight. It’s heartbreaking to watch beautiful basil turn into a sad, blackened mess.
The Right Way to Store Fresh Basil
- Trim about half an inch off the stem ends
- Place stems in a glass or jar with an inch or two of water
- Keep it on your counter at room temperature
- Loosely cover with a plastic bag if your kitchen is dry
- Change the water every couple days
Stored this way, fresh basil can last a week or more. Some customers tell us their basil even sprouts roots and keeps growing! Pretty cool bonus from buying really fresh herbs.
Cooking with Basil & Storage Tips PDF
Best Ways to Use Fresh Basil
Fresh basil shines brightest when you add it at the end of cooking or use it raw. Heat destroys those delicate aromatic compounds, so tossing it into a sauce that’s been simmering for hours wastes all that fresh flavor.
Our Customers Use Fresh Basil For
- Classic caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella
- Homemade pesto (freeze extra in ice cube trays for winter)
- Fresh pizza topping added after baking
- Stirred into pasta just before serving
- Thai basil in stir-fries and curries
- Infused into lemonade or cocktails
- Layered into sandwiches and wraps
A family from Hoffman Estates told us they go through three bunches of fresh basil every week in summer. Between caprese salads, pasta nights, and frozen pesto, they can’t get enough. Their kids even snack on the leaves straight – that’s how good really fresh basil tastes.
Preserving Your Fresh Basil
Can’t use all your basil before it starts to fade? Pesto freezes beautifully. Make a big batch, freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop the cubes into freezer bags. You’ll have instant pesto all winter long. Beats anything from a jar.
You can also freeze whole basil leaves. Blanch them for two seconds in boiling water, dunk in ice water, pat dry, and freeze flat on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to bags. They won’t be pretty enough for fresh use, but they work great in cooked dishes.
Drying basil is possible but honestly? Dried basil loses most of what makes fresh basil special. If you want dried herbs, oregano and thyme dry much better. For basil, freezing is the way to go.
Pairing Fresh Basil with Other Ingredients
Fresh basil plays well with lots of flavors. The classic pairings exist for a reason – they just work.
- Tomatoes and basil might be the most perfect combination in cooking. They’re made for eachother. Fresh summer tomatoes from our farm market with fresh basil? That’s peak summer eating right there.
- Garlic amplifies basil’s savory side. Together they form the backbone of most Italian cooking. Fresh garlic and fresh basil in the same dish is something special.
- Lemon brightens basil beautifully. Try lemon zest in your pesto, or lemon basil variety in seafood dishes. The citrus notes complement basil’s slight peppery quality.
- Mozzarella and other fresh cheeses let basil’s flavor shine without competing. There’s a reason caprese salad is just tomato, mozz, basil, and good olive oil. Simple ingredients done right.
Get Fresh Basil at Goebbert’s Summer Farm Market
Our summer farm market in Barrington features fresh basil throughout the growing season. We harvest same-day, so you’re getting the freshest herbs possible. During the summer, you can find large leaf Italian basil at our farm market. In the spring, we offer Thai and Lemon Basil plants for your garden.
Stop by the farm market and smell the difference for yourself. Our staff can help you pick the right basil to plant or share tips for getting the most out of your purchase. Whether you’re in Barrington, South Barrington, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, or Algonquin, Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center is worth the trip for truly fresh basil!