When you squeeze it, a ripe apricot should indent slightly beneath your fingers, but it should not be overly soft. You can also smell near the fruit’s stem, since a ripe apricot will have a sweet scent.  Although the color of the fruit will depend on the variety, a ripe apricot should be uniform with no green patches.  Avoid fruit with large bruises, as these will be mushy and have no flavor. This rinse will help to remove any bacteria from the fruit. Rinse the apricots under cool running water and pat dry. Washing the apricots before you boil them keeps contaminants from cooking into the fruit. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, then drop the apricots into the water for between 30 seconds and 1 minute. This keeps the skins from becoming tough during the freezing process.  Do not overcook the apricots, especially if you are planning on freezing the fruit while it is fresh. If you are peeling the apricots, you don’t have to blanch them. However, it does make removing the peels easier. If you are freezing a large quantity of apricots, you may want to blanch them in smaller batches, depending on the size of your stock pot. After the apricots have boiled for 30-60 seconds, use a slotted spoon to remove the apricots from the boiling water. Plunge them into ice-cold water right away to immediately stop the cooking process, then drain them and pat them dry. If you blanched the apricots, or if they are especially ripe, you should be able to easily remove the skins with your fingers. Otherwise, you can use a sharp paring knife to peel the fruit. If you’re pureeing the apricots, you will need to remove the skins. Use a small paring knife to slice through the fruit, sliding it around the pit. Twist the halves of the apricot to separate it, then use your fingers or a spoon to scoop out the pit.  If you’re freezing the apricots fresh, you can leave them in halves, or you can cut them into quarters or slices if you prefer.

Summary:
Choose fruit that is fully ripe but still firm. Wash the apricots with a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Blanch the apricots in boiling water if you are leaving the peels on. Dip the apricots in ice-cold water after you blanch them, then drain and dry. Peel the apricots unless you plan to leave the skins on. Slice the apricots in half and remove the pits.