They are about to flower like my other herbs have begun to do. Last year I waited a bit long and they made beautiful flower spikes which I didn't have the heart to cut down. So my oregano harvest was delayed until the fall after the flower spikes went to seed.
I place the stalks on a large tray with all the cut pieces facing the same way. This makes it easier to tie up the stems for hanging.
I am very careful not to crush the leaves too much.
I simply take a bunch of herbs and squeeze it in my hands. The leaves crumble and fall onto the plate while the stalks are left behind. (These photos are from last fall/winter, but they show what will happen in a couple of weeks time.)
The comparison between my home-grown herbs and the ones in the grocery store:
Mine taste amazing, are still green in colour and I know that no herbicides or pesticides have been used in growing them.
Store-bought herbs are less flavourful, a dull greenish-yellow colour, and I have no idea of how or where they were grown.