NASA astronauts prepare to taste peppers after they are harvested on the International Space Station

NASA astronauts prepare to taste the first pepper harvested on the International Space Station.

NASA explained that the astronauts will conduct two harvests this year: the first is a 100-day sowing harvest that will be in late October, and the second is a 120-day sowing harvest that will be in early November.

Astronauts will taste peppers after they are harvested on the International Space Station (NASA)

"The astronauts will sterilize the pepper after harvesting it, and they will eat part of their crop, and they will return the rest to Earth for analysis," the US space agency said - on its website.

There are only a few weeks left to harvest and eat the first peppers grown in space (NASA)

In turn, American astronaut Key Megan MacArthur posted - on her official account on the Twitter site - pictures of the crop from inside the space station, and wrote a comment on it, "The countdown to pepper has begun, there are only a few weeks left until we harvest our first pepper in space and eat it."

Pepper countdown!

We're just a few weeks away from harvesting and eating our first peppers🌶 in space!

Our cooking options are limited, but do you think we should taste them straight from the plant, or warm them up first in our 180F oven?

Learn more: https://t.co/3gItrHsbwK pic.twitter.com/ukHlaRcjJu

— Megan McArthur (@Astro_Megan) October 11, 2021

"Our cooking options are limited, but do you think we should taste it straight from the plant, or first heat it in our oven at 180 degrees Fahrenheit?" Megan added.

I loved getting my hands on the pepper plants and pollinating them!

I felt a much higher-than-usual level of focus compared to tending plants on Earth.

Of course I played Red Hot Chili Peppers for them!

🌶 See why we are growing this complicated crop: https://t.co/7YJ8yfrRfP pic.twitter.com/8MnpLVbYoA

— Megan McArthur (@Astro_Megan) September 14, 2021

Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly replied, "Serve with arugula salad, of course."

Serve with rocket salad, of course!

https://t.co/gpVKO4dzk4 pic.twitter.com/PFyrVI9ODj

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 12, 2021

In mid-September, Megan published a video clip showing her participation in pepper pollination, commenting, "I loved putting my hands on pepper plants and pollinating them! I felt a much higher level of focus than usual, compared to caring for plants on Earth."