Light vs. Dark Kidney Beans

Although I can't say for certain about the beans, I would guess its just the variety that makes them be a slightly different colour. As for the sugar, most brown sugar is white sugar with a little molasses mixed in, unless you're talking about demerara and other specialty sugars, which are less processed than other types. To make brown sugar at home, mix 2 Tbsp molasses in one cup of sugar. You have to mix it well to evenly distribute the molasses, but it is absolutely delicious, fresher tasting and more moist than the brown sugar you'd buy in the store.

As far as I know, dk brown sugar just has more molasses. I don't know about the beans and if the flavor is different between dark and light red kidney beans.

I have heard that darker beans are more nutritiious. Armed with that information I suppose we should all eat black beans.

Dark Kidney Beans have a slightly thicker and tougher skin...the light beans are thinner and softer...I use the dark ones...

I have read that brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses mixed back in, and therefore less tasty than it used to be years ago. So you might as well do it yourself at home, or buy the real deal, which is Demerara sugar.

I think Alton Brown says that light brown sugar makes for chewier cookies, dark brown crunchier. But I do know "brown sugar" is just sugar that has been bleached and then the molasses added back.

Dark red kidney beans have a stronger flavor, are "meatier" and have more nutritional value. Light brown sugar is less refined than white and dark brown is even less refined. Contrary to what a lot of health food types say, brown sugars are still sugar, they are not "better" for you.

Originally brown sugar was sugar that hadn't had the molasses refined out of it. Now they probably do refine it all and add back some to make it brown sugar again. The person who mentioned Alton Brown is on the right track but has it backward. More molasses (darker brown sugar) = softer cookies. See his show about chocolate chip cookies where he makes three different kinds.

Light and dark brown sugar is only due to the fact that more molasses is added to the sugar to make dark brown sugar.