You would think that nine children, 10 grandchildren and a full-time career would have provided enough activity in one lifetime to satisfy any man. Any man, that is, but Allen Jinnette.

Now retired, the 65-year-old former Burlington Industries chemist enjoys a wealth of hobbies, many of them pursuits he dabbled in before retirement. He travels, he gardens, he paints, he builds wooden frames - and - he cooks.

His culinary creativity occurs in a kitchen usually in such a state of merry disorder that its very existence contrasts sharply with Jinnette's straight-forward, deliberate personal style. Cooking in such an environment, however, seems not to disturb him at all.His wife, Evelyn - a 62-year-old woman who is as interesting and unusual a person as Jinnette -chuckles when her husband's ability to wreak havoc in a kitchen is discussed. Yes, sometimes it's hard to keep things straight, she acknowledges. And, in the next breath, admits that "probably" such a concern is less important than many other things in life.

As a married culinary team always bristling with new ideas, the Jinnettes share other pursuits as well. "I make the pickles. She makes the desserts and we cook other things together," Jinnette says with a shrug.

His wife chimes in, "Yesterday afternoon, I was getting my hair fixed so he fixed supper. Usually, when he does the meat, it is roasting or something like that."

They also love to travel. And, though their current jaunts are taken in style, Mrs. Jinnette remembers that the travelling began before the couple even owned a tent. "To start with, we went to the beach and slept in the station wagon." There even was a year when the Jinnettes made a lengthy trip to Canada with eight of their children and only a Volkswagen bus for some overnight accommodations.

"I guess we've hit about every state east of the Mississippi," Mrs. Jinnette says. "But we haven't been too far west of the Mississppi - yet."

The two are North Carolina natives and have lived in Greensboro nearly all of their lives. Jinnette skipped a couple of grades during school and graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in chemistry at the ripe old age of 19.

The 43 years he spent with Burlington included working in the research and glass division and later a lengthy stint as a chemist specializing in fabric defect analysis. Though he has worked with food for years, Jinnette says dabbling in foods was a natural outgrowth of his chemical career.

"Like I said, I'm a chemist and a chemist cooks stuff up and mixes things," he said. "And I like to do that. And, when you're at home, you mix stuff up to eat."

Her husband could cook long before they married, Mrs. Jinnette says. "Seems like he knew some foods and I knew others." Mrs. Jinnette always has been a full-time home-maker with a long list of hobbies like needlepoint, crocheting and knitting. Yet, she and her husband always have shared cooking duties.

"It's a whole lot easier with several children than one or two,"she said, "because they will play with each other and look after each other."

That kind of family spirit means all of her nine offspring - especially the couple's six sons - had a chance to experiment in the kitchen when they were growing up. "They all had the opportunity to learn," Mrs. Jinnette says. "And all of them can cook - if they want to."

Their gardening and travelling have helped expand their culinary repertoire, the Jinnettes say. When they visit a new place, they sample the food and frequently purchase a cookbook or two. And the yard of their Church Street extensiion home on the north edge of Greensboro includes a vegetable garden, apple trees, grapevines and a bay cherry tree.

One entire bookcase in the Jinnettes' kitchen is lined with homemade pickles, jellies, preserves and relishes. And having fresh fruits and vegetables so readily available influenced Allen Jinnette's development of two of his cooking specialties - pickles and apple butter.Today, putting up things from his garden keeps Jinnette occupied much of the time during the late summer and fall.

Following are a sampling of some of his special recipes.

To make 1 quart, sterilize jar and cap, wash fresh cucumbers thoroughly. Slice cucumbers and pack into jar, leaving ½ inch at top.

Then put in jar:

• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• ¼ teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
• salt
• 1 tablespoon dill weed
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dill seed

Fill jar with diluted vinegaar (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water). Leave ¼ inch air space at top of jar, put lid on and tighten. Place jar in cool water in a large kettle, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Have water deep enough to cover the jar lid.

Peel 6 pounds medium-size carrots, cut length wise into quarters. Cook carrots in boiling, salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain. Pack carrots into hot jars and leave ½ inch head room.

Prepare vinegar mixture: In a large kettle, place 3 cups sugar, 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups water, ½ cup mustard seed, 1 6-inch stick cinnamon and 6 whole cloves. Bring mixture to boiling. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour this hot mixture over carrots in jars, leaving ½ inch of head room. Put lids on jars and tighten. Process in boiling water for 5 minutes for pints. Makes about 6 pints.

To make 4 quarts sliced cucumbers, use:

• 1 cup pickling salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 gallon water
• 1 tablespoon alum

Syrup

• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
• 1 quart vinegar
• 6 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 cinnamon stick

1. Cover cucumbers with brine (1 cup salt, 1 gallon water) and let stand for 8 days. Drain and discard the brine.
2. Place the cucumbers in a kettle with enough water to cover. Add alum. Bring to a boil, remove from heat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
3. Add ginger and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, let stand for 30 minutes. Discard liquid.
4. Bring syrup ingredients to a boil with spices tied in a cheese cloth bag.
5. Add cucumber to boiling syrup. Bring to a boil again.
6. Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process for 5 minutes in boiling water bath.

   Makes about 8 pints.

• 6 pounds tart apples
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 cups cider or apple juice
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 3 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  Core and quarter peeled apples. Put into a large kettle with cider. Cook until soft, about 30 minutes. Press through a food mill. Boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and spices. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Continue heating and stir frequently until mixture reaches desired thickness. Carefully ladle butter into jars, adjust lids and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

  Makes 8½ pints.