Is there a easy way to can peaches or make preserves? Every year I say I am going to do this, but I never get started.. Do I really need the bale and toggle jars?

I find it easier to freeze my peaches and to me they taste like fresh. Just add a bit if Fruit Fresh with sugar and put into ziplock freezer bags

Bale and toggle jars are kind of retro, they look cool, but you don't need to use them. You can process your peaches using mason jars and seals and a water-bath canner. It isn't difficult but is a bit time consuming. Best advice I have is to get on-line instructions from a Ball or USDA site which will walk you through the process safely. It is important to bring the water back to a boil and process your product for the recommended time so you don't experience spoilage. Canning in the heat of summer can be fairly sweltering and freezing is often a good alternative, depends on your taste. My go-to canning book is the Ball Blue Book, good step-by-step instructions and some interesting recipes.

I know Deb, I think of my Granny back in the days of wood stove sweltering over a hot stove with all the different apparatus it required. Arlene, I just think it look so kewl when given as a gift. Mason make some neat little jars. A friend gave me a little flat looking mason jar with Blackberry preserves and tied with a silver string.. My grandmother canned whole peaches laced with mixed pickling spice., she also made peach and pear preserves.
If I do this once, I probably will never do it again. lol

Then go for it. I am just too old for it anymore. It is pretty as a gift and you certainly can't give frozen one s!
When I was growing up my mother canned everything. We had to so we had food in the winter. She used to can peaches too and pears and a strange fruit called citron, was like a melon she put lemon peel and raisins in with it. And lots of pickles. One called Liberty Pickles that I love but when I looked up the recipe i said, no way! Days to make them.

Sylvia, I had a wood cookstove for about 25 years and loved it. Such a homey feeling. When we remodeled our kitchen, I reluctantly let it go but still have it out in the barn, waiting for its next tour of duty, whatever that might be.

Deb they can convert those stoves now days. You could probably buy three or four for what it cost! My grandparents lived in upstate Florida way back in the woods, what an experience When my dad went into the war in 42, we left Miami to go go stay with them. She pickled wild black berries, quince, watermelon rind and cactus. The cactus was for us when we got a cold or something. But it was like syrup.Naturally she canned all the vegetables. Now that I am old, I wonder how she did all that, after working in the fields most of the day.. So I figure I should be able to jar up a a few jars of peaches!,lol
Arlene I am old too, really old, had two hip replacements so you know I am not going to standing too long. lol
I bookmarked a site that is all about canning and preserving, if I find it I will share with you guys.

Sylvia, I'm also thinking about restoring the stove. It has a fair amount of rust on it and the nickel needs sprucing up, but I've seen some gorgeous restorations. This particular stove has 3 small side gas/propane burners in addition to the firebox.

I don't have many photos of my old cookstove (mainly because I'm usually the one snapping pics), but this one is from 1994, either Thanksgiving or Xmas dinner.

Is that a Guardian pot on the stove?

I don't know what a Guardian pot is - that was an old hammered metal pot of some sort, real thick and retained heat well, likely came from my grandmother. It may have been aluminum, in which case I would have ditched it - trying not to use that particular metal anymore.

That stove is so Kewl!!! what a great looking picture, it would work for a commercial! My granny in upstate FL didn't have a fancy on like that, but my Mom's mother had one that she left in the old house for my great grandmother.. They called those compartments up top a warmer
Arlene i remember that pot, bought a used one when I lived in CT and a pressure cooker and left them there. On that wood stove is also used to heat the iron for ironing I think about all those things we left behind, you see them being sold on FAB.com for big bucks. I bought my cast iron skillet about 35 years ago, took forever to break it in, Its heavy as hell, but I use it on top of the stove and in the oven!

Deb your old combination gas and wood stove is really cool. I can still remember having a wood stove in our house when I was a kid. Nothing like home made bread baked in a wood stove. When you are ready to restore it, you might want to learn about rust removal using beet pulp with molasis. I have restored one stove, and if you submerge the parts in a slurry made of this beet pulp with molasis, it removes the rust in a couple of weeks. You can just google that, and find information about it.
My mother used to freeze peaches with frozen orange juice some how, never learned how she did it, but boy they sure tasted great. I sure wish I know what she did. I have two peach trees, and this year my Contender is loaded. I've been thinning like crazy. I ususally just can them in a light syrup and process in a water bath. Not too hard. I also make peach butter in the crock pot. UMMMM.

Tom thanks for the tip on restoring. The stove is currently in pieces in our barn, covered with blankets, but definitely getting some rust. I'll have to give the molasses/beet combo a whirl. I do miss the old girl - it was actually easier to can on it (if a tad bit warm) because I could move the pans around to get the right amount of heat. And both our boys (and all their friends) knew there would be no dinner unless and until they brought in firewood and kindling! Fun times.

My guess is your mom just used the o.j. in place of a syrup, either undiluted or perhaps using half the water. You could likely use apple juice concentrate much the same way, with peaches or other fruit. Kind of opens up a whole realm of potential flavor combos.

I might have to experiment. All of my fruit trees are filled with fruit this year. Last year I got nothing because they bloomed in March, and then froze in April. I will be very busy this fall.

Tom you are the Peach man, you are going to have some fun! I wish I could grow a peach tree. I tried but those darn birds get to them before I do!

Not to mention the squirrels and raccoons!

We Texans have our problems don't we? lol I hate those squirrels! They dug up all my potted Hostas! Now I got kittens frolicking through everything and they are not even mine!

I have to put a netting on the tree to keep the birds out, same with the cherries. Here's a pic from the 2011 season.
I think the netting will show.

How in the world do you get up there? Tom your trees are beautiful ... loaded. What kind of peaches are they, name of the tree?