The Brachot Blessings

As mentioned above, the Chabad custom is to make the ha'etz blessing on the apple.

• The custom in Sefardic communities is to make the bracha of ha'etz on a date (or a pomegranate if one does not have a date) since it is one of the seven species of Israel.
• The Mishnah Berurah writes that one who wishes to make the bracha on the apple should remove the fruit that are from the species of the land of Israel from the table before doing so.
• One need not make the beracha of ha'adama on cooked vegetables (e.g., pumpkin and leeks) as these are foods normally eaten during a meal and are “covered” by the HaMotzie blessing on the challa.

No Grapes

The Vilna Ga’on’s custom was to not eat grapes on the nights of Rosh Hashanah. Since the sin of eating from the Eitz HaDa’at took place on Rosh Hashanah and some say it was a grape vine, it is inappropriate to eat grapes at this time. Even according to this custom, one may eat raisins that are mixed into other foods.