how long can i soak bones in water beforte boiling?

For cleaning bones before boiling, a practical soak is 2–12 hours in cold water , with a water change if it turns pink or cloudy. If you want a more thorough cleanse, overnight soaking in the fridge is common; much longer than that usually isn’t necessary for most cooking uses.

Simple approach

• 2 hours : enough for a quick soak before blanching.

• Overnight / about 12 hours : a common method for removing more blood and impurities.

• Longer than 24 hours : usually unnecessary unless you’re deliberately doing repeated cleaning and changing the water.

Best practice

Use cold water and keep the bones refrigerated if you’re soaking for several hours. After soaking, rinse well, then blanch or start your boil with fresh water.

Important note

Don’t boil the bones while they are still in the soak water if your goal is a clean broth; many cooks discard the soak water and use fresh water for the actual cooking.

TL;DR: Soak 2 hours to overnight, but 12 hours in the fridge is a solid default.