Tu Bshvat is the beginning of the year for trees. This pertains to Terumos, Maasros and Orlah.
• There is a minhag to have many fruits on Tu Bshvat.
• There’s a custom to eat a little bit of every new fruit during the year to show our appreciation to Hashem his creations (it doesn’t say that this has to be on Tu Bshvat).
What kinds of fruits
• When a new fruit is eaten the Bracha of שהחיינו is made.
• The fruit needs to grow anew each year, otherwise no שהחיינו is made.
• Fruits that grow twice a year (very rare) can have a שהחיינו twice a year.
• Anything available all year doesn’t get a שהחיינו (most vegetables and basic fruits).
• שהחיינו can be made on melons even though the bracha is Hoadama.
• Pickled, salted, roasted, fried, sugared, dried, canned, preserved, etc. fruits don’t get שהחיינו because it’s difficult to know if it’s from a new or old crop.
• Jams don’t get שהחיינו unless the pieces of fruit are visible.
• A שהחיינו is made on cooked fruits that are normally eaten when cooked. No שהחיינו is made on raw fruits that are normally eaten when cooked.
• If any of the above were eaten during the year but then one ate a fresh one, שהחיינו can be made.
• There’s a disagreement if crossbred fruits get a שהחיינו therefore no שהחיינו is made.
• Fruits that are second generation crossbred and on (almost all), have no disagreement and שהחיינו can be made.
• There are disagreements if two types of the following are considered different species or the same: white/black figs, pears, apples, nuts, purple/red/green grapes, red/black plums, clementines/mandarine oranges, peach/nectarine etc. therefore if one already ate one of the above, don’t make שהחיינו on the other type. Get a different fruit and have this one in mind.
• Oranges, lemons, grapefruits and pomelos are considered different species.
How to make שהחיינו
• The שהחיינו should preferably be made only if the fruit will be enjoyed.
• The שהחיינו is made even if only a small part of the fruit will be eaten.
• There is a big debate if the שהחיינו is made before or after בורא פרי העץ. It seems the custom is to make the שהחיינו after בורא פרי העץ before eating the fruit.
• If the שהחיינו was forgotten, it can still be made as long as the fruit is still being eaten.
• There is a disagreement if the שהחיינו was forgotten and the fruit will be eaten again later and there still is happiness in eating the new fruit, if the שהחיינו can be made. Best is to make the שהחיינו on a different fruit.
Order of Brachos
• Priority is given to the seven species of fruits from Eretz Yisroel in the following order: olives, dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates.
• If there’s none of the above, the bracha is made on a whole fruit.
• If there’s no whole fruit, the fruit that is usually preferred by each individual goes first.
• The fruit that the שהחיינו will be made on is considered the preferred one.
